The Soviet Hangover: Alcoholism Threatens Mongolia's

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ULAANBAATAR 000079

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/CM and EAP/EX
BANGKOK FOR USAID RDMA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON SOCI PGOV CASC MG
SUBJECT: The Soviet Hangover: Alcoholism Threatens Mongolia's
Progress

REF: (a) Ulaanbaatar 006
(b) Ulaanbaatar 013


1. (U) SUMMARY: Alcohol, including fermented mare's milk, has
traditionally been part of Mongolian culture. But the economic
chaos that followed Russia's hasty withdrawal in the early 1990s
resulted in skyrocketing rates of addiction to vodka and other hard
spirits. This Russian legacy continues to this day, fanned by rapid
social change, economic stress and urbanization. If unchecked, the
deleterious knock-on effects of alcoholism -- increased crime,
domestic violence, disease and decreased productivity -- could slow
Mongolia's economic and social progress. Mongolians consume an
average of nine liters of alcohol per year, double the global
average and far above that of most other developing nations.
Alcohol consumption rates among Mongolia's youth are increasing
faster than in China and South Korea. As the economy improves and
the Government finds renewed political strength to combat the
disease, there is hope that alcoholism will recede somewhat. But
stricter enforcement and more effective awareness campaigns are
still needed. END SUMMARY.

Alcoholism Insidious, Pervasive
--------------


2. (U) The recent deaths of 14 Mongolians who unwittingly drank
cheap vodka laced with high-content methanol (reftel A,B) sent
shockwaves through the country, prompting Mongolians to reexamine
the scourge of alcoholism and question the spirit-production
industry, which is largely unregulated and corrupt. Like corruption
itself, alcoholism in Mongolia is insidious, pervasive and threatens
Mongolia's economic and social progress. Synonymous with everyday
activities as well as special occasions such as Lunar New Year,
alcohol is consumed daily without being associated with any thought
of alcoholism. Culturally, it is considered rude to refuse one or
two shots of vodka when visiting a Mongolian home, at any time of
day.


3. (U) Surveys taken over the past decade suggest that 13% of
Mongolia's population are heavy drinkers (defined as those who drank
60 g or more of alcohol per day). That is nearly double the average
in the U.S. and China (6.9% and 6.7%, respectively). According to
the WHO, Mongolians annually consume 9.03 liters of alcohol per
adult -- double the global average of 4.5 liters, but lower than in
most western developed countries. Austria, for example, consumes
11.9 liters per adult, Germany 11.67, Australia 9.55 and the U.S.
8.9 liters. Ten percent of Mongolia's heaviest drinkers downed
two-thirds of all alcohol consumed.


4. (U) Production and consumption statistics, however, are hard to
pin down, because the production of homemade spirits -- especially
"airag," or fermented mare's milk -- goes unreported, and the
illicit importation of spirits from Russia and China is rampant.
Today there are anywhere from 114 to 200 alcohol producers in
Mongolia, only ten or so of which are licensed. The rest often
disguise their production numbers to avoid inspection and taxes.

Consumption Rising Among Urbanites, Young
--------------


5. (U) Indications are that Mongolia's high alcoholism rate is
exacerbated by rapid urbanization and rising disposable income. The
WHO survey shows that the average number of heavy drinkers in
Mongolia's urban areas is nearly triple that in the countryside, and
that increases in alcohol consumption have been steeper among
housing or apartment dwellers, as opposed to the (generally) poorer
residents of outlying ger districts.


6. (U) Recent surges in underage drinking are also an urban
phenomenon, especially among girls who are beginning to "catch up"
with boys in terms of alcohol consumption, at rates much higher than
those found in China or South Korea. According to a 2006 Ministry
of Health/World Health Organization survey, the highest mean alcohol
consumption, for both males and females in Mongolia, was in the 15-

ULAANBAATA 00000079 002 OF 003


to 19-year-old age group. The survey found that 70.5% of young
people under 21 had imbibed at least once, and that young urban
drinkers consumed twice as much alcohol as rural youths.
Influencing factors in youth drinking included belonging to families
with regular drinkers; having parents with drinking problems; peer
pressure; and suffering from psychological problems (e.g.,
depression) or physical or emotional abuse.

Alcoholism Blamed for Rising Crime...
--------------


7. (U)_The knock-on effects of alcohol are illustrated by the
heightened rates of crime and family violence. Crime in Mongolia
has risen steadily over the past five years. "Crimes against Human
Life and Health" -- murder, attempted murder and assault, among
other offenses -- have jumped 50 percent since 2003. Muggings are
up 75 percent over the same period. Police have reported that as
much as 80 percent of all crimes, and 58% of all homicides, involved
alcohol. Alcohol-related traffic accidents accounted for more than
one third of the total.

...Increased Abuse and Abandonment...
--------------


8. (U) According to Post's Human Rights Report for 2006, more than
60% of domestic violence cases involved alcohol abuse. According to
NGOs, women are increasingly leaving their husbands rather than
suffer domestic abuse, thus adding to the number of single-parent
families. According to a recent UNICEF report, most of the street
children in Ulaanbaatar come from abusive homes or single-parent
families.

...And the Spread of STDs
--------------


9. (U) Alcohol abuse among young people has been linked to risky
sexual behavior and blamed as one of the reasons for Mongolia's high
rate of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as for the rise in
HIV/AIDS cases, almost all of which reportedly involved transmission
through sexual intercourse.

Economic Toll
--------------


10. (U) In the 2006 MOH/WHO survey, 36% of respondents divulged that
drunkenness and hangovers had interfered with their school work or
job. Some 18% of respondents had been admitted to a hospital for
treatment as a result of their or someone else's alcohol use, and 9%
had spend time in a "drunk tank". In 2007, some 130,000 to 140,000
persons received treatment at a recovery center, either voluntarily
or as a result of court action. Over 50% of respondents said they
spent US$15 on alcohol per month -- 10 to 15 percent of the average
monthly wage. Nationwide, it is estimated that alcohol accounts for
3.5% of annual household expenditure.


11. (U) The country's improving economy, and a strengthened
political will to acknowledge the problem and fight alcoholism, may
be helping to turn the tide. The 2003 National Program on Alcohol
Abuse Prevention and Control, 2003-2012, and the 2004 Law on
Alcohol, banned alcohol use in workplaces, set the legal drinking
age at 21, and prohibited the sale of alcohol after midnight, among
other steps.

Awareness Campaigns Lacking
--------------


12. (U) Unfortunately, as is often the case in Mongolia, intentions
are good but capacity and enforcement are lacking. Awareness of
alcoholism's harmful effects remains low, especially among the
young. According to the 2004 survey on student drinking, a majority
of respondents (55.9%) said they had rarely or never seen public
awareness messages and preventive materials on alcohol abuse.
Conversely, advertisements that glamorize drinking are ubiquitous on

ULAANBAATA 00000079 003 OF 003


TV and radio, despite a government ban. The paltry fine of US $250,
if levied at all against a media outlet, can quickly be reimbursed
by wealthy alcohol companies. (On other occasions, fines have been
blocked through interference by politicians who own alcohol
production and/or distribution companies.) The official drinking age
is 21, but this is rarely enforced, and then only by "rent-seeking"
police.

Slight Improvements Noted
--------------


13. (U) On the bright side, community involvement on
alcoholism-related issues is growing, and more facilities are
appearing for the treatment and rehabilitation of alcoholics.
Awareness and treatment options are increasing, and doctors are
receiving more training and can make referrals for in-patient
alcoholism treatment. The National Toxicology Center, with
assistance from the US DOD, has developed a chemical-dependency
treatment program with 30 dedicated inpatient beds, as well as an
outpatient program. The health component of the recently signed
Millennium Challenge Compact provides for efforts to carry out a
public awareness campaign aimed at preventing and treating
non-communicable diseases, including alcoholism.

Minton