First alcohol-free club opens

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ First ever no-alcohol club opened Saturday to students, teenagers and everyone who wants to spend leisure time in a healthy and sober way. With a support from the Government and Health Foundation, a community for Healthy and Active Life has launched their "Youth–21" club in north-western Ulaanbaatar, one of the hustle bustle area of the city, where youth usually go and drink in crowded bars and karaoke. Attending the opening of the venue, the PM N.Altankhuyag said this club creates an environment to support an alcohol-free community, where young people spend their leisure time dancing and talking, instead of getting intoxicated. A report by the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) notes that alcohol abuse could be Mongolia's biggest stumbling block to economic and social progress. A 2006's survey carried out by Mongolia's Ministry of Health and WHO found that 22 percent of Mongolian men and 5 percent of women are dependent on alcohol, rates three times higher than in Europe. Almost one in five Mongolian men binge drinks on a weekly basis. One reason for the high level of alcoholism is the sheer availability of alcohol. Mongolia has one shop selling alcohol for every 270 people. Most of supermarkets have an aisle dedicated to vodka, sometimes with more than 25 types of vodka alone.