Russians have a word to describe a weekend long bender! Learn more
The word "Zapoi" (written in Russian as запой) refers to two or more days of continuous drunkenness, during which an individual withdraws from society.
The fact that Russia has a word for such a specific behavior is not surprising—drunk culture is widely prevalent throughout Russian society, and heavy drinking is generally a socially acceptable behavior.
According to a World Health Organization report in 2011, the annual per capita alcohol consumption in the country is 15.76 liters, the fourth highest in Europe.
In 2012, as an effort to combat alcoholism in the country, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev nearly doubled the price of vodka. Still, the problem persists throughout the country.
