Russia tried Prohibition before the United States, resulting in an astonishing 25% loss in tax revenue. And did the Russians drink any less? NOPE.

>One cause of the decline of state revenues was the introduction at the outbreak of the war [**WWI**] of prohibition on the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. Russia took this measure – the first major country in the world to do so – in an effort to reduce alcoholism, which was believed responsible for the physical and moral degeneration of its inhabitants. Prohibition, however, had little effect on alcohol consumption since the closing of state-owned outlets immediately led to a rise in the output of moonshine. >During the war, in addition to homemade vodka, a popular beverage was *khhanzha*, made of fermented bread reinforced with commercial cleaning fluids. >But while alcoholism did not decline, the Treasury’s income from alcohol taxes did, and these had formerly accounted for one-fourth of its revenues. _______________________________ **Source:** Pipes, Richard. "Toward the Catastrophe." *The Russian Revolution*. New York: Knopf, 1990. 234. Print. ________________________________ **Further Reading:** [сухой закон (Dry Law) / Prohibition in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union]( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_Russian_Empire_and_the_Soviet_Union)