俄制作戒酒宣传片《恶魔松鼠》

为了宣传戒酒，俄罗斯卫生社会发展部制作了一个戒酒宣传片《恶魔松鼠》。

Russia’s health ministry¹ has rolled out an unlikely new weapon in its fight against rampant²（猖獗的，蔓延的） alcoholism: a video of a drunken squirrel hallucinating（产生幻觉） .

The 'demon³ squirrel’ clip has become a smash hit on the Internet where it has been viewed more than one million times attracting a slew⁴ of critical and positive comments.

Part of the Kremlin’s toughest anti-alcohol campaign since the collapse⁵ of the Soviet⁶ Union, the video was released after President Dmitry Medvedev described the country’s drinking problem as “a national disaster.”

The animated⁷ squirrel featured in the video is meant as a cautionary tale about the effects of binging on alcohol and vodka（伏特加） , Russia’s national tipple⁸（烈酒） , in particular.

The advert’s creators did not choose a squirrel as their anti-hero by chance. In Russian slang, delirium⁹ tremens, the moment of inebriation¹⁰ when people start to get the shakes and to hallucinate, is known as “belochka” or “a little squirrel.” The squirrel in the video, who is red-eyed and bedraggled（全身污泥的） , is therefore shown ranting¹¹, singing, and delivering a nonsensical monologue¹².

He talks about “chasing spiders up the walls” and finishes up by offering to kill his neighbour’s wife because she is “the devil.”

“Are you a boozer?” the deranged¹³（疯狂的） squirrel asks in the finale. “Then I am coming around to your place.”

The colourful ad campaign follows a decision to introduce a minimum price for a half-litre bottle of vodka of 89 roubles (1.78 pounds) and to reduce the amount of alcohol permissible¹⁴ in motorists’ blood to nil¹⁵.

Russians drink more than 18 litres (32 pints) of pure alcohol per capita per year, more than double the World Health Organisation’s recommended maximum.

At a time when Russia is trying to stem a serious population decline, encouraging people to drink less alcohol is being seen as a matter of self-preservation.

Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, and President Medvedev often try to set an example by being photographed sipping¹⁶（啜饮） tea.