Bulgarians drink 3 to 5 times more hard liquor than the average for Europe, according to experts.

"Bulgarians get started with hard liquor and then move on to wine, while Europeans drink only wine," observed Associate Professor Sonya Toteva, head of the institution for drug and alcohol addiction treatment in Sofia's Suhodol district.

Some 70% of all Bulgarians drink alcohol, but 400 000 have a serious problem with the liquor, Alexander Kanchelov, an owner of a private clinic for addiction treatment, pointed out. Both experts are cited by the Monitor daily.

More and more of Bulgarian top managers drink heavily, which used to be typical mainly for art circles in the past, Kanchelov said. He added that as many as 30% of Bulgaria's male population drink hazardous amounts of alcohol, but it is only people from the upper middle class and the rich that seek treatment.

The Bulgarian women's average alcohol consumption has increased 6 time over the last 10 years, he stated.