Vodka will be 30% more expensive by August

Vodka prices in Russia are going up next year as authorities look to reduce alcohol consumption.

Prices on the cheapest available vodka will rise 16 percent on Jan. 1 and 30 percent on Aug. 1, the Moscow Times reports. Surveys have shown that alcoholism contributes to at least 30 percent of deaths in Russia.

The government has been slowly raising the minimum prices on vodka and brandy since 2010, with small increases each year.