[Epidemiology, medical and social features of the addiction to beer and strong alcogol].

The comparative study of the addiction to beer and hard liquor was carried out. Despite of the dramatic increase in the beer consumption in the Russian Federation between 1999 and 2009, the incidence and prevalence of alcohol dependence and alcohol psychoses had decreased. The analysis of preference in alcohol consumption revealed that 90.7% of study participants consumed different types of alcohol beverages: beer and hard liquor. Alcohol addiction caused by the consumption of beer or spirits and wine alone was 1.2% and 8.1%, respectively. Our study of case histories demonstrated that alcohol addiction related predominantly to the beer use was associated with the consumption of smaller doses of pure ethanol, less pronounced abstinent syndrome, less frequent complications, such as the convulsive syndrome and alcoholic psychosis, compared to the addiction to hard liquor. The examination of 106 outpatients with alcohol addiction revealed that patients who preferred hard liquor during the last month consumed more alcohol in terms of pure ethanol. Also, the period of hard drinking was longer and patients had more social, legal, and psychological problems as well as somatic and psychopathological disorders. The higher was the consumption of hard liquor, the severe was the course of alcohol addiction. The least number of biopsychosocial problems was noted in patients who consumed only beer.