Russians cut back on drinking, smoking

MOSCOW - Russians are drinking less than at any point since the fall of the Soviet Union, figures show, as a raft of government measures bear fruit and healthy living becomes ever more fashionable.

Vodka might still serve as a national symbol but last year, Russians drank less alcohol per capita than the French or Germans, according to World Health Organization data that factored in consumption of bootleg booze.

And tobacco use also plummeted by more than a fifth between 2009 and 2016, down to 30 percent of Russians smoking according to the most recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey.