Holy God

(This is a story ERN has been following with shock and awe.)

It seems that Reuters is the latest to run a story on the impact of Russia’s new vodka regulations. As the story notes, “Counterfeit vodka laced with toxic household agents has turned Russia's national tipple into a deadly cocktail and is killing Russians by the dozen.”

Short on cash, Russia's desperatly poor have taken to drinking aftershave and brake fluid after new government regulations priced them out of the market. Yet, even as Russian lawmakers try to bring the Hammer of Thor down on illegal moonshiners, they can’t seem to make the connection between the recent spike in expensive alcohol regulations (passed on to the consumer), and the rise of deadly alcohol substitutes.

"From July 1 they (officials) introduced licenses for wholesale deliveries of liquids containing alcohol. In August poisoning from antiseptics began."

'Bartender! I'll have two fingers of Bactine, and whatever the lady is drinking.'