Speaking at the Burte Chono-2010 awards ceremony, President
Ts.Elbegdorj renewed his appeal to people, in both households and
organizations, to dispense with vodka when celebrating the new year. Calling
alcohol abuse “the worst and most serious” problem facing Mongolian society, he
said “it is frightening how even children use alcohol nowadays”.

Vodka, he said, “is no part of Mongolian culture and its use
is no cause for pride”. He himself would toast the arrival of the new year with
tea or milk in his cup, and not vodka, and urged everybody to follow suit “as
alcohol destroys our self-respect, our morals and the nicer aspects of social
interaction”. He wanted artistic celebrities and sports stars to give the lead
in this movement and expected civil movements and NGOs to spread the message in
the wider society.