Alcohol-related human losses in Russia in the 1980s and 1990s.

摘要

Aims : The estimation of alcohol-related human losses in Russia in the 1980s and 1990s.DESIGN: The estimation was made by comparing changes in the total number of deaths and in specific categories, and alcohol consumption in Russia during this time.SETTING: The anti-alcohol campaign, launched in 1985, and the market reforms launched in 1992 were associated with large and rapid changes of alcohol -consumption in Russia.FINDINGS: In the early 1980s, the aggregate number of direct and indirect alcohol-related life losses was more than 500 000 per annum, or 32% of total deaths. Half of the alcohol-related human losses in Russia over the period studied were due to accidents, poisoning and violence. Following the anti-alcohol campaign and reduction in annual per capita alcohol consumption from 14.2 (1984) to 10.5 l (1986), mortality decreased from 1161.6 to 1054.0 per 100 000 of the population. It is estimated that from 1986 to 1991 the lives of 1.22 million people were spared; that is, 11.4% of the number of deaths expected without the anti-alcohol campaign. All categories of deaths were reduced with the exception of neoplasms, infectious and parasitic diseases. In the period of the so-called market reforms both alcohol consumption and mortality increased sharply. The total number of alcohol-related deaths for 1994 was 751 000 in the population, or 33% of all deaths (direct and indirect losses). In 1995 alcohol consumption started to decrease. A decrease in mortality was registered despite the sharp deterioration of the quality of life in the country. However, a new growth of total mortality, fatal alcohol poisonings and number of alcohol psychoses began in 1999-2000.CONCLUSION: The results of this study show the enormous scale of alcohol-related mortality in Russia. It has been revealed that alcohol-related deaths are at the top of the hierarchy of all premature deaths in the country. Decreasing alcohol consumption is an important means of decreasing total mortality in Russia.