"Alcohol is a poison, harmful to the soul and body, therefore it is a great sin to drink alcohol and to offer it to others, and it is an even greater sin to produce and sell this poison" Tolstoy

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I was just referring to the fact he posted this quote from the video just published here by the same OP.

But if you do watch the video, you'll see that while alcohol wasn't what caused poverty/malnutrition, it's the systematic social pressure (on the peasants) to consume Vodka is largely what created a feedback loop of poverty and alcoholism.
The business of selling Vodka to peasants was so profitable, by the way, that the ruling class made themselves a monopoly in that business, often granting production rights as exceptional rewards to nobility (as it was just that profitable).
I could go more about this, but it's all in the 10 minute video.