Alcoholism in Russia

Russia now acknowledges alcohol addiction as a problem. Previously, alcoholism and other harmful habits formed part of the assumed degenerate lifestyle of the western world, thus alcoholism was not considered as a problem. Presently, Russia is encountering an alcohol mortality crisis. Leon, Shkolnikov and McKee (2009) report that in 2003-05, 43 per cent of deaths of young men between the age of 23 and 25 in Ishevsk city, Western Russia were attributable to alcoholism.

The health impact of alcohol in Russia is most notable in its contribution to mortality through cardiovascular diseases. Many alcohol-poisoning deaths that occur in Russia falsely fall under circulatory deaths. However, the study by Leon, Shkolnikov and McKee (2009) proves that most of the deaths actually occur because of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Alcoholic effects on myocardium implicate chronic effects on the myocardium to cause the condition. Death is the precipitated by final alcohol binge. Although studies have proved that binge drinking increases cardiovascular disease related deaths, the number of sudden cardiac deaths remains low.

In Russia, men drink alcohol more that women. Differences of the prevalence of alcohol drinking also emerge in educational groups where university educated men drink less alcohol than their uneducated counterparts. In families, married men tend to consume less alcohol compared divorced men and single men. Lastly, alcoholism is widespread among unemployed Russians. In addition, heavy drinking among the working population is to blame for most job dismissals. Consequently, alcoholism in Russia leads to a negative economic effect of increasing unemployment more than it improves economic returns.

The group of binge drinkers in Russia needs recognition in the public health care programs. The confirmation of the role of alcoholism on the deaths related to circulatory conditions is evident of the fact that the heavy drinkers of Russia are a vulnerable group. While major population changes in Russia in the past are attributable to societal changes, the emerging literature points out that alcohol maybe one of the mechanisms that leads to the rapid demographic change in a few decades.

A criticism to Russian health authorities has been that they react to crises instead of building up programs to prevent diseases systematically. On a brighter note, the country now trains doctors in psychiatry to ensure that they are capable of dealing with addiction problems (Fleming, Bradbeer, & Green, 2001). Historically, Russia as part of the USSR helped develop the AlmaAta Approach to health for all in 1978, but never took part in implementation of the program, that was to take care of primary care services .

Current health programs in Russia need to assign highest priority to reduce alcohol and other risk factors. There is need to improve existing programs and introduce new programs that are well planned on a national regional and local scale. The gravity of the matter is readable from the State Statistic Committee estimates of a population reduction from 148 million in 1992 to 134 million in 2016. The ministry of health in Russia needs to overlook monetary and fiscal state benefits from alcohol and increase the zeal of promoting government policies for the reduction of alcohol related health problems. A little progress happens on health care development in Russia with the realization of the alcohol hazard. Nevertheless, the country should embrace an overhaul of its health and incorporate new objectives. These include preservation of universal access to healthcare, establishment of national targets to meet World Health Organization (WHO) levels and to make healthcare at par with international standards.