Maria Neufeld1, Jürgen Rehm2. 1. Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada; Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, TU Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: neufeld.maria@googlemail.com. 2. Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada; Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, TU Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; Institute of Medical Science (IMS), University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Room 2374, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada. Electronic address: jtrehm@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Consumption of unrecorded alcohol (alcohol that is not taxed and reflected in official statistics, but consumed as a beverage) has been identified as one of the main contributors to alcohol-attributable premature mortality in Russia. The problem was highlighted by a recent a mass poisoning with surrogate alcohol occurred in the Siberian city of Irkutsk. METHODS: Based on key publications and legislative documents, a narrative review was undertaken about alcohol-related harm reduction policies in Russia for the period between 2005 and 2017, as well as the impact of these policies on the recorded and unrecorded alcohol consumption and alcohol market. RESULTS: Various policy measures mainly targeting availability and price of recorded and unrecorded alcohol have been introduced since 2005, which generally coincided with the decreases in alcohol-related mortality observed at that time. However, regulations on medicinal and cosmetic products have remained inconsistent providing the foundations for the continued existence of a legal industry of surrogates with broad availability and misuse. CONCLUSION: The Russian experiences of introducing alcohol policies demonstrate that there are effective measures to reduce unrecorded alcohol consumption and attributable harm. The government's multi-level strategy of alcohol consumption and harm reduction should be pursued stringently and all the possible loop-holes for producers, sellers and distributors of illegal and/or unrecorded alcohol should be eliminated or at least critically reduced.
BACKGROUND: Consumption of unrecorded alcohol (alcohol that is not taxed and reflected in official statistics, but consumed as a beverage) has been identified as one of the main contributors to alcohol-attributable premature mortality in Russia. The problem was highlighted by a recent a mass poisoning with surrogate alcohol occurred in the Siberian city of Irkutsk. METHODS: Based on key publications and legislative documents, a narrative review was undertaken about alcohol-related harm reduction policies in Russia for the period between 2005 and 2017, as well as the impact of these policies on the recorded and unrecorded alcohol consumption and alcohol market. RESULTS: Various policy measures mainly targeting availability and price of recorded and unrecorded alcohol have been introduced since 2005, which generally coincided with the decreases in alcohol-related mortality observed at that time. However, regulations on medicinal and cosmetic products have remained inconsistent providing the foundations for the continued existence of a legal industry of surrogates with broad availability and misuse. CONCLUSION: The Russian experiences of introducing alcohol policies demonstrate that there are effective measures to reduce unrecorded alcohol consumption and attributable harm. The government's multi-level strategy of alcohol consumption and harm reduction should be pursued stringently and all the possible loop-holes for producers, sellers and distributors of illegal and/or unrecorded alcohol should be eliminated or at least critically reduced.
Authors: Jürgen Rehm; Maria Neufeld; Robin Room; Bundit Sornpaisarn; Mindaugas Štelemėkas; Monica H Swahn; Dirk W Lachenmeier Journal: Int J Drug Policy Date: 2021-08-27
Authors: Maria Neufeld; Anna Bunova; Boris Gornyi; Carina Ferreira-Borges; Anna Gerber; Daria Khaltourina; Elena Yurasova; Jürgen Rehm Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-11-09 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Charlotte Probst; Jakob Manthey; Carina Ferreira-Borges; Maria Neufeld; Ivo Rakovac; Diana Andreasyan; Lela Sturua; Irina Novik; Gahraman Hagverdiyev; Galina Obreja; Nurila Altymysheva; Muhammet Ergeshov; Shukhrat Shukrov; Safar Saifuddinov; Jürgen Rehm Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2021-12-15 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Nino Berdzuli; Carina Ferreira-Borges; Antoni Gual; Jürgen Rehm Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-11-04 Impact factor: 3.390