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Alcohol kills over half of Russians in their prime Cheap and illicit alcohol kills more than half of Russian men and women in their most productive years, and the government must act urgently to reverse the trend, according to a study to be published in the upcoming issue of The Lancet. "Excessive alcohol consumption in Russia, particularly by men, has in several recent years caused more than half of all the deaths at ages of 15-54 years," the Lancet article said. The research conducted in three industrial cities -- Tomsk, Barnaul and Biysk -- said "excess mortality from liver cancer, throat cancer, liver disease, and pancreatic disease is largely or wholly because alcohol caused the disease that caused death." Russia's mortality rate in people aged 15-54 years was more than five times higher for men and three times higher for women than in Western Europe, the study showed. Alcohol is responsible for about three quarters of the deaths of all Russian men aged 15-54 and about half of all deaths of Russian women of the same age, the data showed. Russia must stop or tax the illicit alcohol output, the article said, adding this in turn would mean "confrontation with organised criminals and corrupt officials... All that is needed is the political will to make public health a priority." David Zaridze, head of the Russian Cancer Research Centre and principle author of the study, said: "Each year 1.3 million people die from cardiovascular diseases in Russia. Based on our investigation, it is possible to suggest that at least a third of these deaths is linked to alcohol consumption and not to any specific heart pathology," he said. Alcohol-related deaths also include suicides, murders, drowning and deaths in fires, he said. A United Nations report said in April that poor diet, leading to heart disease, heavy drinking and the high incidence of violent deaths may cut Russia's present population of some 142 million to around 131 million by 2025. Store shelves across Russia are laden with cheap vodka that costs between 60 roubles ($1.92) and 80 roubles ($2.56) per half litre bottle, while Russia's illicit alcohol production is estimated to account for at least 50 percent of consumption. Alexander Nemtsov, a department chief at the Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry, estimated Russia's annual consumption at 15 litres of pure alcohol per capita, including children and elderly people. This compares to just 6 litres in 1864, he said. He estimated Russia had some 2.5 million registered alcoholics and about the same number of unregistered ones. Thirty-thousand people -- twice the number the Soviet Union lost during its 10-year war in Afghanistan -- die from alcohol poisoning in Russia each year. Psychiatrist Nemtsov said fighting drinking in Russia was an uphill task, because cheap vodka was only part of the problem. "Poor quality of life, cultural disadvantages, poverty, and everyday stress all contribute to the provocation to drink," he said. Dr. Cinque's comments: As much as I love to lambaste alcohol, it's only fair to point out that, besides being heavy drinkers, Russians are also heavy smokers. The WHO reports that 70 percent of Russian males smoke, which compares to about 24 percent of American men. I have never been to Russia, but I have been to Ukraine, which is culturally similar to Russia, and I have seen how the men over there smoke like chimneys. Nevertheless, the much-heralded "cardio-protective" effect of alcohol doesn't seem to show up in Russia and Ukraine, and somebody's got some 'splaining to do. Moreover, Mr. Zaridze asserts that a third of the cardiovascular deaths in Russia are directly due to alcohol. I think there are cultural and perhaps genetic reasons why some people are more susceptible to alcohol addiction, and that may be true of Russians. Considering that Russia is a modern industrialized country, it is appalling that the average lifespan for men there is only 57, and alcohol is definitely a major reason why. Worldwide, alcohol is a scourge of unequalled proportion. E-mail to a friend Previous Article Next Article |
