Vodka blamed for half of Russian deaths

[Cold Warrior]

Alcohol kills more than half Russian men and women in their most productive years, according to new research.

The international study found three quarters of deaths among men and half of deaths among women aged 15-54 could be attributed to alcohol abuse.
Such a mortality rate for this age range is five times higher for men and three times higher for women when compared to Western Europe.
Professor David Zaridze, who led the research, worked out that alcohol had killed three million in the country since the failed attempt to restrict sales in 1987.
Some 30,000 people - twice the number the Soviet Union lost in its 10-year war with Afghanistan - now die from alcohol poisoning in Russia every year.
The research focused in three industrial cities - Tomsk, Barnaul and Biysk - and found alcohol was responsible for 52 per cent of deaths - 13 times the world average.
It 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'.

The study, published in The Lancet medical journal, calls on the Russian government to stop or tax cheap alcohol.
This would mean 'confrontation with organised criminals and corrupt officials ... All that is needed is the political will to make public health a priority', it said.
Prof Zaridze, head of the Russian Cancer Research Centre, said: 'Each year 1.3 million people die from cardio-vascular 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.'
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, from 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.

'Drunkards, not alcoholics, are the main threat to demography,' he added. 'Heavy drinkers make up 40 percent of Russian males, but this figure may be bigger.'
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 problem,' he said.

[Aloe]

poor quality of life, poverty? Where did they look, in villages?
on a russian site i read the problem with alcohol is that there are very many toxic fakes on sale
what are cultural disadvantages?

[CallMeSasha]

on a russian site i read the problem with alcohol is that there are very many toxic fakes on sale

yes and surprisingly no mention of this in the article

[ConnerVT]

He estimated Russia had some 2.5 million registered alcoholics and about the same number of unregistered ones.

Where does a person go to register?   ???

[Rina_G]

   
I read and pondered the question - where alcoholics are recorded.
In Russia it is considered a disease, so diagnoh hronisesky alcoholic can be made in the medical card.
I know and I knew many men who suffered from cirrhosis of the liver. None of them had been registered as a chronic alcoholic. therefore, the figure is not entirely correct. Indeed, in the Russian village, the average band mass drunkenness - no normal man. They drink the drinks and homemade nasty kachastva. This is a great tragedy. And partly - is the reason why women seek fortune abroad.

[Aloe]

Where does a person go to register?   ???

наркодиспансер
narcology clinic

[Aloe]

Rina, are you using online translators?

[Rina_G]

I use on-line translator whan I don't know some words
and why you ask about?

[Rina_G]

I use on-line translator when I don't know some words
and why you ask about?

[Aloe]

just wondering, cuz often you can see words in russian in your posts but written with english letters. Thats what some online translators do when they dont recognize a word

[Rina_G]

lol - you're right - and if I noticed this mistakes I was corrected.
but I got used my known english words in post. in this case it look like simple
I like to read your opinion on our life
I never thought we're really diferent.