Russian dies in vodka drinking contest

[john williams]

Drinking game turns deadly
By Arkady Yuzhny in Russia
20nov03

ALEXANDER Nakonechny triumphed at a vodka drinking marathon in Russia after guzzling three half-litre mugs of vodka in quick succession, but failed to collect his prize after dying on the spot.

The weekend contest in the southwestern city of Volgodonsk also left four other male contestants fighting for their lives at the local hospital, although one woman who took part managed to stagger out of the clinic a few hours after being rushed there for an emergency stomach pump.
In an alcohol-hardened nation where it is not uncommon for Russian men to down a litre of the liquid on a night out, Nakonechny's feat of winning the contest - which earned him a prize of ten bottles of vodka - should have been cause for celebration.

But prosecutors in Volgodonsk have slapped charges of causing death through negligence on the organisers of the drinking competition, the managers of a local food and drink shop, who face three years in jail if convicted.

"If we can find the grounds to charge them with causing death by flouting their professional duties or if another person dies as a result of this marathon, they will face up to five years in prison," Volgodonsk's deputy prosecutor general Sergei Lubenets told AFP.

He added that the organisers could also be charged with breaking the law on advertising, which forbids staging events which promote the consumption of alcohol.

The participants of the event, which took place in the shop, were invited to down half-litre glasses of the Russian national drink and refill as much as they could from buckets filled to the brim.

News of the "Vodka Marathon" spread across the city and 50 people queued up outside the shop for the chance to down a free mug of vodka and try their luck at outdrinking the others.

The rules allowed them to accompany the vodka, as is traditional in Russia, with sausage, black bread and mustard.

The person who drank the most and managed to stay on his feet was to be declared the winner.

Nakonechny soon left the other contestants behind but within minutes of his victory collapsed and died, joining the other 40,000 Russians who die each year from alcohol poisoning.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/com...55E401,00.html

[Gary Sisco]

The only question is whether they've reproduced, yet. If so, bad for the gene pool. If not, good.

[Pete C]

Originally posted by JBW
joining the other 40,000 Russians who die each year from alcohol poisoning.

I wonder how many die from alcohol-related causes, from accidents to cirrhosis.

[cookie]

This illustrates one of the reasons I'm pro-pot: alcohol can kill you outright. You can sit down and poison yourself---especially if you aren't a puker.

Pot doesn't kill like that. Cocaine can. Heroin can. So why is pot illegal?

Sorry, I know that's a tangent, but when I read a story like this (usually it's frat boys) it always makes me think about the MJ issue.

A little bit of alcohol can be such a great thing, but it's also a powerful poison.

[clinthopson]

A few years ago a 17 year old Russian exchange student who was staying with my son Casey, and his wife visited us during Spring break.

I asked him what the drinking age was in Russia, he said "When you can reach over the bar."

Pavel and our other son, Eric, then proceeded to polish off most of a 1 1/2 liter jug of Stoli plus a big jar of dill pickles. Pavel said that the pickles were the traditional accompaniment.

Needless to say, both of them had a big case of the miseries for a few days.

We all agreed to not tell Casey how his dad had corrrupted Pavel. The day he left for Russia, Pavel told Casey the details of that evening.

Needless to say, Casey still gives me a ration about it.

[cookie]

OK, well, I take it back. It appears marijuana CAN kill.

Texas man chokes to death on marijuana

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Nov. 20, 2003 | FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man changing a flat tire choked to death on a bag of marijuana he had stuffed down his throat in an apparent attempt to hide it from police who stopped to help him, authorities said.

Nickolas Sandoval, 24, died Wednesday.

Officers were unaware at first Sandoval had drugs when they spotted him on the highway in Corinth, about 45 miles northeast of Fort Worth, said Corinth police Cpl. Frank Lott.

"Officers went from 'Oh, hey, here is someone with a flat tire' to 'Hey, this guy is choking,'" Lott told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Sandoval, of Ponder, was pronounced dead at a hospital. Cause of death: "asphyxiation due to aspiration of plastic bag," according to a spokeswoman for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office.

Sandoval was convicted at least three times of marijuana possession, and pleaded guilty two years ago to a drunken-driving charge.

_______

Fool. I nominate this guy for a Darwin. Christ, the drug laws are terrible but not enough to try and swallow your stash bag and all.

[Salvador Dali Lama]

It is if you're looking at hard time for it, which he was.