Soviet Prices for Alcohol Rise by 20%
Prices for Soviet alcohol increased by about 20% on Tuesday.
Soviet television announced that the Council of Ministers raised the retail prices of vodka, cognac, champagne, strong wine and beer, effective immediately.
Vodka drinkers will pay $1.80 more for a half-liter bottle, which now costs around $6 a bottle.
Since Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev launched a battle against alcoholism last May, the nation has ordered lower prices for fruit juices, raised the drinking age, reduced the hours of sales of liquor and put into effect stiff new fines for drunkenness.
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