A Russian cartoon on alcoholism featuring a red-eyed "demon squirrel" with "the shakes" has had more than a million views on Youtube. The squirrel rants about "chasing spiders up the walls" with a friend, who then murders his wife.
The public information ad has created a buzz word, "kudyapliki" - imaginary creatures the squirrel and his friend want to hunt during their binge. "Are you on the booze yourself?" he asks at the end. "I'll be seeing you."
Demon Squirrel appeared online without fanfare on 25 November. One internet user suggested that "kudyapliki" - a neologism which might translate into English as "where-are-you-off-tos" - meant "a three-week drinking bout".
Alcoholism continues to blight Russian society. The British Medical Journal recently estimated that half of all deaths in Russia between 15 and 54 were alcohol-related.
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