Suicides and alcohol consumption in Russia, 1965–1999

Abstract

Background: Abrupt changes in the alcohol consumption level and the suicide rate associated with the anti-alcohol campaign of 1985–1991 and the market reforms of 1992. Methods: Epidemiological investigation of total Russian suicide rate and per capita alcohol consumption utilizing the Box–Jenkins technique and regression analysis. Results: The decrease of per capita consumption from 14.2 to 10.5 l in 1985–1987 and the growth of this index after 1987 (14.6 l in 1994) saw a respective decline and increase of suicides per litre of alcohol: eight males and one female per 100,000 of the corresponding population (13 or 6% of male or female suicides and 12% total suicides). The maximum suicide rate was reached in 1994 (41.8 per 100,000 population, in 1981–1994 r=0.91). In 1984–1986 and 1991–1994 the distribution of suicides’ age was close to that of the age distribution from fatal alcohol poisoning. Changes in the level of BAC-positive suicides are closely correlated with changes in the alcohol consumption level ( r=0.98), whereas changes in the number of BAC-negative suicides were not related to changes in consumption. Conclusion: Alcohol consumption level plays a considerable role in the suicide rate, especially for male suicides. The rate of alcohol-related suicides is very high in Russia, owing to the very high alcohol consumption rate in the country.