NCJ Number
206894
Journal
Addiction Volume: 99 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2004 Pages: 1034-1041
Date Published
August 2004
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined the connection between alcohol and violence in Russia.
Abstract
This study employed unique newly available Russian mortality data to examine the social connection between binge drinking and homicide in that country. Death certificates of those aged 20-64 years in the Udmurt Republic were analyzed according to day and cause of death for the years 1994-1998. These data were collected originally as part of a project examining the Russian mortality crisis of the 1990’s. Until 1999, when Russia began to migrate to the use of the International Classification of Disease Codes cause of death was recorded according to the Soviet classification scheme. For the purposes of this study, deaths due to alcohol poisoning were used as a proxy for binge drinking. There was a high bivariate collaboration between the daily distribution of deaths due to alcohol and homicide. The number of alcohol deaths was significantly higher on Saturdays and Sundays and the number of homicide deaths was significantly higher on Fridays and Saturdays. The levels of alcohol consumption and homicide in Russia are among the highest in the world and there is mounting evidence that the two are related. Binge drinking may act as a social and cultural factor that will increase the risk of violent crimes. The high correspondence between the daily distribution of alcohol and homicide deaths provides indirect evidence for the social connection between them. The importance of these findings is not limited to Russia. There are many potential avenues through which alcohol might lead to violence. Research shows that there is not always a positive relationship between alcohol consumption and rates of homicide. These initial findings should encourage continued research on this topic. References