Alcoholism in Russia, already a bad problem, is getting worse. Excessive drinking has been a factor in most of the nearly 200 freezing deaths in Moscow alone since November.
Some Russian doctors say the situation has reached epidemic proportions.
The average man drinks about four gallons of pure alcohol a year, or about a pint of vodka every other day, nearly twice what Americans drink. Russian alcohol consumption is a big factor in lowering male life expectancy to a very young 57 years. That means many Russians die of alcoholism before they retire. Using a system he says reinvigorates the brain, Polykorsky claims 95 percent of his patients are no longer dependent on alcohol. Alcoholics Anonymous clinics also have opened in Moscow, although Polykorsky told CNN he thinks the AA method is too negative.