The Role of Alcohol in Russia's Violent Mortality

Author(s): William Alex Pridemore
Editor(s): Jeronim Perovic, Robert Orttung, Matthias Neumann, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder
Series: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)
Issue: 35
Pages: 6-9
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen
Publication Year: 2008

The levels of homicide and suicide in Russia are among the highest in the world, even though the numbers have improved in recent years. There is a strong association between alcohol consumption and violent mortality. This connection is particularly strong because Russians often drink vodka or illegally produced spirits in large quantities and in private or semi-private settings where fights are more likely to become deadly than in public places. Despite the improving situation, one-third of all deaths in Russia are directly or indirectly related to alcohol, requiring intervention at a variety of levels.

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