Psychiatrist and addiction specialist Ruslan Isaev has identified the times of year when people drink the most alcohol, telling the outlet NSN that official data points to cold-weather holidays as the peak periods.
Isaev said consumption peaks during the New Year holidays, February 23 and March 8, as well as during long holiday periods in cold weather. He added that the May holidays bring a surge in beer and barbecue drinking.
Disagreement over August
Isaev disagreed with colleagues who have named August as the year's most alcohol-heavy month. He said that in many years of work, he has not observed a rise in drinking at the end of summer.
In late July, addiction specialist Marina Alekseeva told the outlet Life.ru that people do start drinking more often in August. She explained that the last month of summer creates a feeling that the holidays are ending while a person has not fully relaxed, visited planned destinations or spent enough time with loved ones. According to Alekseeva, people drink more to make up for lost time.
