Safety of Aged Alcohol Consumers: Review from Russia

Jargin SV

Published on: 2025-09-11

Abstract

This review is about one of the scourges of humanity: alcoholism. The focus is on Russia since 1970, but the subject is significant for the whole post-Soviet space and some other countries. There has been a tendency to exaggerate the topic in order to veil shortcomings of the health care system. In this way, responsibility for the relatively low life expectancy especially in males has been shifted onto people, that is, allegedly self-inflicted diseases caused by alcohol abuse. Besides, the purpose is to draw attention to the unstable quality of beverages legally sold in Russia, which have caused poisonings up to lethality even after consumption of moderate doses; offenses against alcoholics and people with alcohol-related dementia, aimed at appropriation of their immobile and other properties, and treatments applied to alcoholics without clinical indications. Fortunately, the alcohol consumption in Russia has been decreasing since the early 2000s, heavy binge drinking being visibly in decline. A concluding point is a call to action: the government should care about weaker members of society, including those suffering of alcohol use disorder.