The average citizen of Kosovo drinks 13 litres of beer, one litre of wine and 150ml of brandy, known as rakia, each year, according to analysis of official customs figures.

While this remains well below Russian – and Western European – standards, it is significantly more than is drunk in most countries in the Muslim world, where consumption is negligible, according to international statistics.

In Kosovo, a state with 1.7 million citizens, 13 million litres of beer, 1.6 million litres of wine and 200,000 litres of brandy are consumed a year. As much of this comes from abroad, import duty on alcohol brings in more than 2.6 million euro each year.

Muslim – but fond of a drink:

Sefedin Krasniqi, a clerk in a private company in Prishtina, says the best day of the week is Friday afternoon, usually the time when devout Muslims gather for prayer outside and inside the mosques.

Krasniqi, 32, who says he is a Muslim, says he likes to go over the weekend to nightclubs, drink and have fun.

“The last time we were out we were five friends and drinking beer, and I think we had seven beers each,” Krasniqi told Prishtina Insight.“I’m a Muslim, but like many others I don’t practice my religion strictly,” Sefedin said.

Professor Dr Xhabir Hamiti, a lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Prishtina, said the Koran is quite clear that alcohol is forbidden, adding that there are many practical reasons for this.

“The downside of using alcohol every day can be seen surfacing in societies in people’s daily lives,” Hamiti maintained. He said it was scientifically beyond doubt that alcohol damages vital parts of the nervous system, and in terms of society, it destabilizes peace and family harmony.

“You can add to this the daily losses of hundreds and thousands of people in the world in traffic accidents that are the result of people being under the influence of alcohol,” said Hamiti.

Kosovo Police confirms that alcohol is to blame for many fatal traffic accidents each year. Baki Kelani, Kosovo police spokesman, said that from January to November 2011, the police recorded 15,625 accidents of various kinds. “As a result of these accidents 133 people died, and many of the cases involved alcohol,” Kelani said.

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/arti...bar-to-alcohol