Disturbing story of Quebec man's poor medical care leading to Medically Assisted Suicide

 

Sin is progressive! Once you open a door to evil, even though it seems good, things will just get worse and worse. Canada's MAiD, Medical Assistance in Death policy is an example. Off to a cautious and almost reasonable start when first introduced by woke elites, it has taken steps every year to make it more accessible to more people. Now they want people to be able to decide well in advance of meeting the requirements. 

In this case, a man's poor medical care left him in so much agony, he chose to end his life in order to end the pain.

Quadriplegic man’s MAID death from bedsore 

results in public inquiry being ordered

By Kalina Laframboise  Global News

Posted June 25, 2024 9:28 am

 Updated June 25, 2024 3:38 pm

 2 min read

Quebec’s chief coroner has ordered a public inquiry into the medically assisted death of a quadriplegic man after he developed a severe bedsore during a hospital stay.

The decision announced Tuesday comes after Quebec’s public security minister demanded an investigation into Normand Meunier’s death.

The 66-year-old man was admitted to a hospital in Saint-Jérôme, just north of Montreal, last January. He was being treated for a respiratory illness.

During his hospital stay, Meunier developed a major pressure sore on his buttocks. Moelle épinière et motricité Québec, a group that advocates for people with spinal cord injuries and improved mobility, said the sore exposed muscle around Meunier’s tailbone.

In late March, he received medical assistance in dying to put an end to his suffering.

“It was not his choice. He asked for medical assisted to death as a result of no choice and lack of care,” said Ariane Gauthier-Tremblay, a social worker with the advocacy group.

“We want to make it very clear.”

Meunier’s death sent shock waves through Quebec, with members of opposition parties describing Meunier’s death as a “true shame” for the province.

An internal investigation was launched by the local public health authority that oversees the hospital, but calls grew for a separate, independent probe. Health Minister Christian Dubé has also announced an investigation into Meunier’s death.

Meunier’s wife told Radio-Canada she had said to hospital staff that Meunier needed a special mattress to avoid bedsores, but that he spent four days on an emergency room stretcher without one.

Sylvie Brosseau spoke publicly about her husband’s death in May, saying she would continue to fight and that she didn’t want Meunier to have died “in vain.”

“There are other people who are very unwell in hospitals at the moment,” Brosseau said at the time, adding they must receive proper care.

Quebec Coroner Dave Kimpton will oversee the inquiry, which will include public hearings from interested parties.

The inquiry will look into the circumstances surrounding Meunier’s case and make recommendations as to prevent similar deaths. The dates have not yet been set.

The decision to hold a public inquiry comes as a relief for both Meunier’s family and Moelle épinière et motricité Québec. Gauthier-Tremblay hopes it will help prevent similar situations.

“We want physically disabled people to be confident when they go to the hospital and we want them to have specific care that respects their spinal cord injuries. We want them to be safe and healed when they go to the hospital,” Gauthier-Tremblay said.

The regional health authority in charge of the hospital confirmed its own investigation is ongoing and it will cooperate with the coroner’s inquiry.

— with files from Global’s Felicia Parrillo and The Canadian Press

European Politics > Russia turning off Euro gas; BoJo bows out; EU Charter now includes Abortion Rights

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Germany fears for gas supply as Russia to shut down Nord Stream pipeline

By Sheri Walsh

Russian gas company Gazprom plans to shut-down the European Union's largest gas pipeline, Nord Stream 1, for maintenance, raising gas supply fears in Germany -- an concerns it may not be turned back on. File photo by Igor Golovniov/Shutterstock

July 5 (UPI) -- Russia plans to shut down Europe's largest gas pipeline, Nord Stream, for annual maintenance, next week with some in Germany fearing the temporary shut-down could become permanent.

Russian gas company Gazprom, which owns the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, announced maintenance is scheduled to run from July 11 to 22 to "test mechanical and automated systems."

But some in the European Union, which now relies on the Russian pipeline for about 40% of its gas, are not convinced the testing will run according to schedule.

"We cannot rule out the possibility that gas transport will not be resumed afterwards for political reasons," Klaus Mueller, Head of Germany's energy regulator told CNBC.

If supply "doesn't come back after maintenance because President Putin plays games or wants to hit Europe while it hurts, then the plan to fill up gas storage by the end of summer will probably not work," Henning Gloystein, director of energy, climate and resources at Eurasia Group told CNBC.

Germany, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands are all prepared to use coal-fired plants to make up for any new gas shortages. A number of European countries have also been filling underground storage with natural gas supplies to make sure there is enough fuel for the winter.

Last month, Gazprom announced it was cutting its output to Europe because of a maintenance issue, forcing Germany to warn its citizens to conserve.

"The gas flows from the Nord Stream 1 were throttled yesterday to around 40% of the maximum capacity," Germany's Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection said on its website.

German leaders saw the move as an attack on Europe over its rebuke of Russia's war in Ukraine and now worry next week's maintenance could drag on longer.

"Germany has Europe's biggest population, it's the biggest economy, it's the biggest gas consumer, it's the biggest single importer of Russian gas, and it has got nine land borders," Gloystein said. "So, whatever happens in Germany spills into the rest of Europe."

Bojo the Clown bows out of the Big Top

Boris Johnson agrees to resign, will remain PM for now

By Sean Boynton  Global News

Posted July 7, 2022 2:21 pm

Boris Johnson has resigned as Britain’s prime minister, bringing an end to one of the rockiest tenures for a world leader in modern times after a series of scandals rocked his government’s confidence in him.

Bowing to growing pressure as more than 50 ministers quit and lawmakers said he must go, Johnson spoke outside his Downing Street office Thursday to confirm he would resign.

“It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister,” Johnson said.

However, he said he will remain as British prime minister while a leadership contest is held to choose his successor. He will remain an MP after he steps down, one of his close aides confirmed on Twitter.

“The process of choosing that new leader should begin now. And today I have appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will until a new leader is in place,” Johnson said.

After U.K.’s Boris Johnson steps down, who could become the next PM?

Among the possible candidates to succeed him include former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

The leader of the opposition Labour party, Keir Starmer, welcomed the news of Johnson’s resignation, but said it should have happened “long ago”.

“He was always unfit for office. He has been responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale,” Starmer said.

Truss, a Conservative MP, also said Johnson was right to step down as prime minister.

“The PM has made the right decision,” she said. “We need calmness and unity now and to keep governing while a new leader is found.”

Fall from grace

Johnson’s exit marks a remarkable fall from grace for the charismatic Conservative leader, who just two-and-a-half years ago was celebrating an overwhelming election victory and the full backing of his party.

He had vowed to move forward as prime minister after narrowly surviving a confidence vote last month that was triggered by shifting stories about COVID-19 lockdown-breaking parties in government offices — some of which he attended.

But that stance proved untenable after two of his most senior cabinet ministers quit Tuesday over similarly shifting explanations about his handling of a sexual misconduct scandal that dogged a recent government appointee.

Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned within minutes of each other, costing Johnson the support of the men responsible for tackling two of the biggest issues facing Britain — the cost-of-living crisis and surging COVID-19 infections.

Those two were then joined by solicitor general Alex Chalk, who also joined four parliamentary private secretaries, the Conservative Party’s vice-chair and two trade envoys in abandoning Johnson and resigning. Several more ministers and government officials followed that first group out the door Wednesday, further endangering the prime minister.

In their resignation letters, Sunak and Javid both said Johnson’s credibility had been shattered by the growing list of scandals, with Chalk adding that public confidence in the government under its current leadership had “irretrievably broken down.”

European Parliament votes to include abortion rights in EU Charter

By Simon Druker

   

Abortion rights activist Julianne D' Eredita addresses demonstrators June 26 during a march from the U.S. Supreme Court to the White House in Washington to protest the court's overturning of Roe vs. Wade. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License

July 7 (UPI) -- Members of the European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution calling for the right to abortion to be included in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the legislative body said Thursday.

The resolution was adopted by a vote of 324 MEPs in favor, 155 against with 38 abstentions.

"A proposal should be submitted to the [European] Council to amend Article 7 of the charter, adding that 'everyone has the right to safe and legal abortion,'" the parliament said in a news release.

Parliamentary members expect the EC to meet to discuss a convention to revise the European Union Treaties at a future date.

This comes after the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned federal protection of abortion rights, leaving to each state to restrict or ban abortion.

Thursday's resolution by the European Parliament also condemns the U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The parliament said it is urging its members to lobby member states to decriminalize abortion and "to remove and combat the remaining legal, financial, social and practical restrictions still hampering access in some member states."

In June, MEPs adopted a resolution calling for the landmark Roe vs. Wade case to be upheld.

Abortion rights vary widely among EU members, with Malta having the strictest restrictions, not allowing the procedure under any circumstances.

"Today, the [European Parliament] has stood up for all women by sending a strong message that will resonate worldwide," MEP Susana Solís Pérez said in a statement to Politico.

"Safe and legal abortion is a fundamental right and, as such, it should be included in our charter."

=========================================================================================

Liberal Doctor Breaks Ranks to Vote Against Gov't Assisted, Instant Death Bill; Trudeau's Absurd "Balanced" Cabinet

..

Liberal MP and doctor says he'll vote against assisted death bill

Kathleen Harris · CBC News · 

Posted: Dec 09, 2020 4:00 AM ET

Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski, who has worked for decades as a medical doctor and has law degrees, says he will vote against Bill C-7 unless there are changes to it. (Jeff Walters / CBC)

A Liberal MP and medical doctor says he will vote against his government's contentious medical assistance in dying (MAID) bill, warning that it could allow people suffering from deep but temporary despair to end their lives.

Marcus Powlowski, who represents the Ontario riding of Thunder Bay-Rainy River, already voted against Bill C-7 at the report stage in the legislative process — the only member of the government caucus to do so. He told CBC News he will "regrettably" do so again unless it's amended.

"I don't like voting against my party, but as someone with a medical background and somebody who has dealt with this issue over the years a lot, I think morally it's incumbent upon me to stand up when it comes to issues of health and life and death," he said.

Powlowski has practised medicine in Canada, Africa and the South Pacific. He has two law degrees and a master's degree in health policy and has helped develop health law and policy for the World Health Organization and several governments.

So, why isn't this remarkable man Canada's Minister of Health? See below.

Powlowski — who insisted he is not opposed to MAID in principle — said a Quebec court ruling required the Liberal government to craft "very difficult legislation" to strike a balance between two starkly different views of MAID.

My biggest concern ... is that we don't end up using MAID

for people who don't really want to die

- Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski

He said he worries the resulting legislation may not address people who are "transient" in their wish to terminate their lives, such as someone who has a permanent disability or who now needs chronic care. Those feelings of anguish can fade over time as they adjust to a changed reality, he said.

"My biggest concern, as someone who has spent my whole life trying to avoid accidentally killing people, is that we don't end up using MAID for people who don't really want to die," he said.

"I think, with a bit of time, people may come around to the fact that there are reasons they want to live."

The government introduced C-7 in February in response to a September 2019 Superior Court of Quebec ruling which found that the law's precondition for obtaining a physician-assisted death — that the individual seeking it must face a "reasonably foreseeable" natural death — was unconstitutional.

The bill proposes to remove that requirement. It also disqualifies those whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness from obtaining an assisted death.

Lametti urges swift passage of bill

Justice Minister David Lametti is urging MPs to pass the bill "expeditiously" in order to meet a court-imposed Dec. 18 deadline.

The government already has received two extensions on the new legislation due to disruptions caused by the global pandemic. While it could request a third extension, the government says its priority now is getting the legislation passed.

After all, it's more important that it gets done quickly than it gets done properly - Liberal philosophy

The Conservative opposition and groups advocating on behalf of Canadians with disabilities say the bill removes safeguards, but Lametti has maintained the legislation strikes the right balance between protecting the vulnerable and giving Canadians the right to end needless suffering.

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole has said that, instead of giving people a "tool" for assisted death, the government should develop a stronger framework to help people live better lives with better supports, housing and care. He also has accused the government of trying to rush a fundamentally important bill after wasting time by proroguing Parliament.

At the report stage, 16 Conservative MPs voted in support of C-7, including Conservative House Leader Gerard Deltell.

The current law requires that a patient seeking assisted death wait 10 days before obtaining it in cases where the death is "reasonably forseeable." The proposed new legislation omits that waiting period, although it maintains a 90-day waiting period for patients whose deaths are not considered reasonably foreseeable.

Senate pre-studying C-7

Conservatives had proposed amendments to keep the 10-day waiting period and to extend the 90-day period to 120 days. Both amendments were rejected in the House of Commons.

The bill has been undergoing a pre-study in the Senate.

Conservative Sen. Denise Batters, vice-chair of the Senate's legal and constitutional affairs committee, said the committee heard from 81 witnesses and most did not support the Liberal government's approach.

She called C-7 "deeply flawed, poorly considered and likely unconstitutional."

Quebec Sen. Chantal Peticlerc will sponsor C-7 when it reaches the Red Chamber.

If the bill doesn't clear the Senate by next Friday's deadline, and if the government does not seek (or is refused) another extension by the courts, that would leave a disconnect between the law in Quebec and elsewhere. People in Quebec would have a legal right to assisted death without foreseeable death being a requirement, while the rest of Canadians would not have access to the broader eligibility.

If the Senate decides to propose amendments, the bill would return to the House of Commons.

While sharing concerns about the legislation's swift pace, the NDP and Bloc Quebecois are expected to support C-7.

The NDP says it supports the right of Canadians to obtain medically assisted death to avoid unnecessary suffering at the end of life — but the party is also calling on the government to introduce a new national income support program to address concerns raised by disability advocates.

A July report from Health Canada on medical assistance in dying in Canada showed that nearly 14,000 Canadians had received MAID since 2016. In 2019, MAID accounted for 2 per cent of deaths in Canada.

A planned parliamentary review of the regime was delayed due to COVID-19, but is expected to begin next year.

===========================================================================================

Why is Dr. Powlowski not Health Minister for Canada. With that extraordinary resume, he should be an easy choice. 

Powlowski has practised medicine in Canada, Africa and the South Pacific. He has two law degrees and a master's degree in health policy and has helped develop health law and policy for the World Health Organization and several governments.

But Trudeau wanted a balanced cabinet - not talent, or ability-wise, but appearance-wise. He chose his cabinet based on sex, sexual preference, colour, and religion (as long as it wasn't Christianity). 

So, Dr. Powlowski was never in the running for a cabinet position because he has that heinous attribute of being a white male. Consequently, Patty Hajdu, was named Health Minister. Patty's only listed training is in graphic arts. That more than qualifies her since Trudeau's only real work experience was as a drama teacher. I'm inclined to think he is still practicing that calling.

Now, to be fair, Patty has a B of A, and a Masters in Public Admin. No medical background whatsoever! Astonishing, isn't it. Talk about absurdly wasted talent. The good Doctor will probably be chastised for voting against this bill.

Another disgraceful decision, back in 2015, was the appointment of the Minister of Defence. The highly qualified LtGen Andrew Leslie, another unfortunate white male, was passed over for a Lieutenant Colonel, Harjit Sajjan. Sajjan is brown and Sikh! 

Sajjan was a highly praised intelligence gatherer who contributed greatly to NATO's Operation Medusa in Afghanistan. However, in 2017 he twice claimed to be the architect of Medusa. He was a Major and such operations were planned by those with higher ranks, though he contributed greatly. Taking credit, whether it is due or not, is not the sign of a leader.

His expertise in intelligence gathering should have been the focus of his career, but Trudeau made him Minister and ignored the much more qualified Leslie.

Leslie didn't bother running in the 2019 election. The writing was on the wall. Another talented man wasted.

Don't forget the ministers and MPs who have had to step down because of sexual indiscretions. Chosen for their appearance, not their character or talents.

Nor should we forget the three women who displayed excellent character; two of whom were very talented ministers. All were forced to resign because of their integrity. Trudeau doesn't want character, talent or ability in his cabinet. He just wants them to look colourful and do what they are told. Most do. 

I applaud you, Dr. Powlowski, for standing up for your principles. It was nice knowing you.

Dutch Supreme Court Approves Euthanasia for Dementia Patients Against Their Will

This is the case where a dementia patient changed her mind about being euthanized, but the doctor went ahead and euthanized her anyway. He was acquitted of murder.

By Danielle Haynes

The Dutch legislature passed legislation in 2001 making euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide legal.

File Photo by Photographee.eu/Shutterstock/UPI

(UPI) -- The Netherlands' Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that Dutch doctors may euthanize patients with severe dementia if at any time they gave written consent to do so.

Previously, doctors were required by law to have patients reconfirm their wish to be euthanized.

The Dutch court's ruling stemmed from the case of a nursing home doctor who was acquitted of murder in a lower court, for euthanizing a 74-year-old woman in 2016 based on a written directive she gave previously while still lucid.

The woman said she didn't want to be in a nursing home and wanted doctors to euthanize her when it was the "right time."

Public prosecutors charged the doctor, saying there were signs the woman changed her mind and didn't want to die.

"The court was of the opinion that the doctor acted carefully and was therefore not punishable," the high court said Tuesday, adding that "the court made no mistakes in its assessment."

The Dutch legislature passed legislation in 2001 making euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide legal. The law, which took effect the following year, applies to patients at least 12 years old who endure unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement.

There were more than 6,000 cases of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in 2016, according to the Dutch Regional Euthanasia Review Committees.

Dutch Woman With Dementia Euthanized Against Her Will

The Doctor Was Just Cleared Of Wrongdoing

Lethal injection. - stock photo David Hills/Getty Images

By AMANDA PRESTIGIACOMO
The Daily Wire

Three years ago, a 74-year-old Dutch woman with dementia was euthanized by a doctor who drugged the patient's coffee without her knowledge and then had family members physically restrain her for the final lethal injection.

The doctor, who has not been publicly named, was cleared of all wrongdoing by a court in the Netherlands on Wednesday, "clarifying" the country's euthanasia law enacted in 2002 in relation to patients with "severe dementia," according to MedicalXPress.

Patients with dementia can now be killed by their doctors even if they strongly object to euthanasia at the time, so long as they have previously given consent for the fatal procedure. In other words, if a patient were to change their mind about the assisted suicide, a doctor could still legally kill them against their will. "The court ruled that in rare cases of euthanasia that were being performed on patients with severe dementia — and who had earlier made a written request for euthanasia — the doctor 'did not have to verify the current desire to die,'" MedicalXPress reported.

No consent!

And in the case of this specific Dutch woman with dementia, she never once gave an express request to be euthanized. In her will, which was renewed about a year before her death, the woman said she would like to be euthanized "whenever I think the time is right." And when she was asked if she wanted to be euthanized, she reiterated multiple times that her suffering was not bad enough to where she wanted to be killed:

“The 74-year-old woman had renewed her living will about a year before she died, writing that she wanted to be euthanized ‘whenever I think the time is right.’ Later, the patient said several times in response to being asked if she wanted to die: ‘But not just now, it's not so bad yet!’ according to a report from the Dutch regional euthanasia review committee.”

She was killed, anyway.

Part of the rationale for clearing the doctor of drugging the patient's coffee without her knowledge and killing her while she was being physically restrained against her will was in part, according to the court verdict, because "the patient no longer recognized her own reflection in the mirror," the MedicalXPress report said.

As noted by The Daily Wire last August, "A panel had previously cleared the doctor of ethical violations by saying she 'acted in good faith,'" but that decision was overturned by the Regional Euthanasia Review Committees. On Wednesday, the doctor was again cleared of wrongdoing.

The Netherlands has become a hotbed for euthanasia particularly among the most vulnerable. In 2017, 83 people with mental illness were killed in the country, as noted by National Review.

"The Dutch plunge into the euthanasia moral abyss continues to accelerate, with the number of patients killed by doctors exceeding 6,000 in 2017. That's more than 500 a month, 100 a week, and 15 a day," the outlet reported in March 2018. "Demonstrating the consequences of accepting the premise that eliminating suffering justifies eliminating the sufferer, Dutch psychiatrists killed 83 of their mentally ill patients in 2017 — up from twelve in 2012 and 43 in 2014."

Sin is progressive! It can hardly be more obvious. What begins as 'ending someone's suffering', slowly morphs in getting rid of those who are hopelessly sick, especially the aged. It will continue to morph into simply getting rid of the aged whether they are suffering or not. This is another example of #PCMadness!

'We are New Russians': How a Hard-Drinking Nation Curbed its Alcohol Use

While Canada legalizes marijuana and getting stoned increases sharply, Russia is moving in the opposite direction, and God bless them.

Russia now ranks 14th in terms of alcohol consumption globally,

and is comparable to France and Germany

Chris Brown · CBC News · Moscow Correspondent

Sober Russia volunteer Eduard Grigoriev shows off a pre-mixed, homemade bottle of energy drink and vodka

during a vigilante raid on an after-hours liquor store in Moscow. (Corinne Seminoff/CBC)

Once the holder of the dubious title of one of the world's hardest-drinking nations, Russia has fallen steadily down the list — and Eduard Grigoriev likes to think his group can claim some of the credit.

Chris Brown's use of the word 'fallen' here is very interesting. More on that at the bottom of this page.

A volunteer with the group Sober Russia, the 21-year-old is a self-proclaimed liquor vigilante. Since his teens, Grigoriev has been helping police crack down on businesses that break Russia's ever-stricter liquor laws.

"Four years ago, when we started, eight out of 10 stores in Moscow were selling illegal alcohol. Right now, it's three out of 10," said Grigoriev of the role that his band of helpers have played in ensuring liquor violators are brought to the attention of police.

Illegal alcohol sales usually take the form of homemade distilled spirits or legally made products sold after hours. Russian law prohibits any off-licence sales in corner stores or grocery stores past 11 p.m. at night.

The restrictions on availability have been part of a sweeping series of measures enacted by the Russian government since 2005, aimed at curbing widespread alcohol abuse in the country.

In its latest report, the World Health Organization acknowledges the efforts have paid off with significantly lower rates of consumption.

Sweeping restrictions

Grigoriev's group has affiliations with the governing United Russia party and Vladimir Putin's administration, but Grigoriev said Sober Russia isn't political, and everyone who joins is a volunteer.

The group's tactics involve sending volunteers into corner stores after Russia's 11 p.m. curfew and entrapping staff who sell booze.

Grigoriev, left, and another Sober Russia member report back on the outcome of their sting operation with

a Moscow police officer. (Pascal Dumont/CBC)

A crew from CBC's Moscow bureau was with Grigoriev's team recently when they visited the city's southern suburbs and documented several of their ensnarement stings.

"We're doing this because we think we can make Russia a better place to live in," Grigoriev explained. "This is our future."

Grigoriev said that if fewer stores sell illegal alcohol, "the better the alcohol will be in legal stores, and the less people will have health problems."

Sales of illegally distilled spirits in Russia have been a deadly health problem. In one of the worst cases in recent times, 78 people died in the Siberian city of Irkutsk in 2016 after drinking tainted moonshine.

Last week, police released a video of a police raid in a factory that was manufacturing illegal vodka just outside Moscow. It resulted in the seizure of more than 77,000 bottles. Not long before that, a bust at a factory in the central Russian city of Nefteyugansk netted about 30,000 bottles. Police claim the booze would have made people badly sick.

A nurse walks through the emergency ward at a Russian alcohol rehabilitation clinic. While Russians continue to be heavy drinkers, the World Health Organization considers their fight against alcoholism to be a success story. (Pascal Dumont/CBC)

In one of the Sober Russia stings the CBC crew witnessed, a shopkeeper sold several bottles of beer to a volunteer after the 11 p.m. curfew. Then, with our cameras rolling, other members entered the store and confronted the employee, who quickly denied doing anything improper.

Grigoriev's team then found several large plastic bottles behind the cash register that contained a mixture of alcohol and an energy drink.

"It's like Red Bull, but with alcohol," he said. "This is forbidden."

Less boozy

Twelve years ago, Russians consumed roughly 15 litres of alcohol per person a year, which put them in fourth in the world rankings of the hardest-drinking countries. Now, in Russia, the per capita average is closer to 10 litres. (By comparison, Canada drinks eight litres per capita per year.)

Russia now ranks 14th in terms of alcohol consumption globally, and is comparable to France and Germany.

Notably, the proportion of strong liquor, such as vodka, in the overall mix of Russian alcohol consumption is down substantially, by 31 per cent.    

"Alcohol consumption has decreased a lot," said professor Yevgeny Yakovlev of Moscow's New Economic School, where he tracks Russia's consumption habits.  

"We see that everywhere. Mortality from alcohol poisoning has decreased by 30 per cent," he said. Yakovlev noted that suicides where alcohol is believed to have played a role have fallen by roughly the same amount in the past 12 years.

"In all of these measures, we see progress," said Yakovlev.

Yakovlev credits aggressive government measures to restrict alcohol sales and to discourage use, such as increased taxation. 

Drinking in public is still in common in Russia. (Mikhail Metzel/Associated Press)

While taxes on alcohol are politically unpopular, the World Health Organization notes that automatic yearly tax increases on booze have contributed to better health outcomes.

Earlier this month, Russia's health ministry announced it was drafting legislation that could raise the country's drinking age from 18 to 21. The Moscow Times newspaper cited a poll suggesting strong public support for the higher drinking age.

Healthier choices

Many Russians are making healthier lifestyle choices more generally, which are contributing to the significant decline in alcohol use.

At a gym in eastern Moscow, Yuri Sysoev and Alexei Forsenco have gone further than most Russians in promoting an alcohol-free lifestyle, both in their own choices and with their outreach.

"If I look back, well, basically, I had child alcoholism," said Sysoev during a break from sparring with a partner in the boxing ring.

Now an actor and filmmaker in Moscow, the 31-year-old Sysoev said the 1990s were a difficult time in Russia. In the post-Soviet economic and political chaos, he said drinking was a means of escape for many.

"I was a little kid in the theatre playing [roles] of gnomes and hobbits, and I got pulled into [binge-drinking culture]," Sysoev said. About nine years ago, an epiphany about the destructive effect alcohol was having on his life prompted him to give it up entirely, he said.

Moscow film producers Yuri Sysoev, left, and Alexei Forsenco gave up drinking and took up fitness.

Then they made a movie about why young people should follow their example. (Pascal Dumont/CBC)

Forsenco, his 37-year-old friend and business partner, said his story is quite similar, except it took him longer to come to the same realization.

"It wasn't until I had kids of my own, about five years ago, that I understood alcohol could not be part of my family."

Forsenco said the decision to abstain from booze often catches the foreigners they meet off guard. But he said no one should be surprised.

"We are new Russians. We don't drink alcohol."

The pair have made a short film that they are showing at Russian high schools. They are sharing their experiences with students in the hope of dissuading teenagers from repeating their mistakes.

Entitled The Outcast, the film features a teen walking through an apartment complex who is being taunted by his friends for not drinking after school. Instead of yielding to peer pressure, he stays the course and chooses the healthy option of a good workout.

"I don't want to brag, but we are the first in Russia to be making a film like this," said Sysoev.

At a recent showing, students peppered Sysoev and Forsenco with questions about their experience with alcohol and its destructive impact.

"We have to fight this," Sysoev told the students. "Not with banners and meetings, but [you must] change yourself first, and then the world around you will change."

While the film has been well received by students, the pair said they have also run into resistance from nervous school administrators, who are afraid The Outcast might portray Russia in a bad light.

Truth is often a 'bad light'!

While more Russians are opting for healthy lifestyles, Sysoev said there are still too many instances of people walking in their neighbourhoods and seeing what he calls an "alcohol apocalypse" — like drunks sleeping on benches or just staggering around.

"That's why we wanted to make this film and send a message that a healthy lifestyle and healthy sport is right."

The comparison between Russia and Canada has some ironic colourtones. Russia is a very conservative country, Canada, under Justin Trudeau is a very progressive country. He thinks that's a good thing and so does most Canadian media, like the CBC. That's why I found it interesting that the reporter would use the term 'fallen' to describe the increasing sobriety in Russia. That wasn't exactly his intention, of course, but that's how it struck me.

The word 'fallen' is often used to describe someone who has died in combat, or someone who has 'fallen' into sin. 'Fallen from grace' is a Biblical phrase. If you are a reader of my other blog you will have found the sentence 'Sin is Progressive' mentioned several times. The irony that appeals to me is that someone from a country that is frantically 'progressing' into extreme liberalism should call a country that is 'progressing' toward a healthier, more sane lifestyle - fallen!

Sweden - Crisis Hotline for Spousal Abusers; Disturbing Correlation - Violence & Progressive Society

Well this is unique. Hopefully it works, and if it does,

maybe they could set up such a hotline for child rapists.

But take note of the statements below that correlate very progressive

societies with the highest rates of domestic violence in the EU.

© Reuters / James Lawler Duggan

Swedish officials and social workers hope that abusive partners will lower their hands, take a breath and call a helpline, an unorthodox solution to a surprisingly common problem in ultra-progressive country.

The helpline is a two-year pilot project organized by local authorities in the nation’s capital of Stockholm and the southern region of Skane, where Sweden’s third-largest city Malmo is located. The service will start accepting calls in January.

While confidential helplines for abuse victims are already commonplace, providing support to the abusers themselves is a novel approach, one the organizers say will help them overcome shame, make amends, and stop hurting their loved ones.

There is “no obvious way of getting into contact with those perpetrating the violence,” but this project can change that, project leader Christina Ericson told state broadcaster SVT.

Trained social workers and psychologists will be ready to advise and counsel the perpetrators who want to stop hurting their partners. They will also work with people who experience thoughts of beating their loved ones, and help them to avoid violence.

Some abusers are aware of their own actions, would like to change their ways, but are reluctant to actually reach out for help, the organizers say. The hotline will “send a signal” to such people and “reduce the shame a little,” so those in need would be open to seek help, Andrea Hansson, a social worker at the Crisis Center in Malmo, told local media.

Progressive Society = Violent Society? The Nordic Paradox!

While Sweden has become a byword for ultra-woke progressive policy - the country’s largest trade union introduced a ‘mansplaining hotline’ in 2016 for instance - an EU report found that  the Nordic nation’s domestic violence rate is fourth out of the 28 EU states, and half of the Swedish women surveyed had reported physical or sexual violence in general.

This phenomenon has been dubbed ‘The Nordic Paradox,’ as it also affects Sweden’s closest neighbors, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. All countries have excellent gender equality ratings, but similarly high rates of domestic violence against women.

I may have to expand the meaning of one of my favourite expressions - Sin is Progressive!

The Nordic Paradox is only a paradox to those who think an ultra-progressive society is a healthy society. 

In the 2000s, a similar phone line for domestic violence perpetrators was launched in the UK by charity group ‘Respect.’ The National Domestic Violence Hotline, operating in the US, is also open to abusive partners and their victims.

And wouldn't it be nice to know if they are making a difference.

Sharia-Governed Indonesian District Bans Men & Women from Dining Together

Islam, like sin, is progressive! Here's another example.

A city in the region previously ruled that women must sit side saddle when riding on motorbikes.

© ROMEO GACAD / AFP

A district of Aceh province, the only area of Indonesia that is governed by Sharia law, has banned single men and women from dining out together in a bid to help women be “more well behaved.”

Single women in the Bireuen district on Sumatra island will be forbidden from sitting unaccompanied with men or co-workers at coffee shops and restaurants.

The directive also imposes a kind of curfew on women, ordering restaurants and cafes to not  serve unaccompanied females after 9pm. This tightens up a 2015 ruling which banned unaccompanied women from remaining at entertainment venues such as cafes and sports halls after 11pm.

“The objective is to protect women's dignity so they will feel more comfortable, more at ease, more well behaved and will not do anything that violates Sharia (Islamic law),” local head of the local sharia agency Jufliwan told AFP on Wednesday.

“Unmarried males and females who are not close relatives should not eat and drink at the same table, because it is sinful according to Sharia law,” Jufliwan added when speaking to the AP.

Cafe-owners and restaurateurs must also do their part to prevent any public displays of affection between unmarried couples. The notice, previously issued in 2016, was reissued on August 30 with some added guidance which precludes food sellers from hiring LGBT people as waiters.

The semi-autonomous region has previously received international condemnation for flogging people convicted of homosexuality, drinking alcohol and gambling. In 2013, Lhokseumawe city in northern Sumatra ordered women to sit side saddle when riding on motorbikes saying that straddling male drivers was “improper.”