Average resident of Russian vodka capital consumes 102 liters annually

KOLTSOVO, Russia, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- A Siberian town host to an elite science center is Russia's vodka-drinking capital, a survey states; residents consume 102 liters each of the booze annually.

Koltsovo, population 13,000, is home to the prestigious Vector Institute, a science center comparable to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Workers there study ways to eradicate deadly diseases.

And compared with their counterparts in bigger cities, residents there drink a whole lot more vodka.

The State Statistics Service in Russia, a country known for its predilection for the colorless alcohol, said the annual per-capita consumption in Koltsovo far outpaces most Russians, who consume 7.7 liters of vodka on average each year.

The study's authenticity is questionable, however. RIA Novosti reported towns where consumption is tracked more closely tend to show higher consumption rates. It also fails to take into account bootleg alcohol, popular among many rural Russians.

Among major cities, Moscow residents consume about 6.9 liters annually. St. Petersburg residents came in just under the national average at 7.5 liters of vodka annually.