Poster as paper here: https://goo.gl/wstqDk Created for a class on the Anthropology of Global Health. I present research on the questions: where does the culturally ingrained consumption of alcohol come from; how interventions by the state have affected the habit over time; what consequences have resulted from the excess in the 90s and present; and how alcohol consumption and the response to alcoholism are changing in the present.

1. Abstract
Russia has a long cultural history of excessive drinking, and with the collapse of
socialism and the tumultuous changes of the 90s, this drinking and the
consequences it produced have become even more severe. In this study I try to
answer the questions as to where this culturally ingrained consumption of alcohol
comes from, how interventions by the state have affected the habit over time,
what consequences have resulted from this excess in the 90s and present, and
how alcohol consumption and the response to alcoholism are changing in the
present. In investigation these issues I analyze multiple articles and books which
have been written on the topic, forming the image of a society which finds alcohol
so essential to their daily interactions that it is part of the Russian definition of
“soul.” This study demonstrates that the Russian people find alcohol integral to
forming friendships, hospitality, deal making, and demonstrating “manliness.” At
the same time, this consumption (especially binge drinking of spirits) has led to a
mortality rate as high as that in some African countries, higher rates of crime, and
social orphans. However, as more recent data comes out, it appears that
consumption of spirits is dropping, leading to a reduction in the negative impact
which alcohol has created.
Causes of Alcoholism in Russia
Kayleigh Walters
Social reasons to drink:
• Vodka is believed to be good and necessary for the soul.
• Sharing a bottle forms friendships.
• Sharing a drink with a guest is the sign of a good host.
• Splitting a bottle of vodka seals a deal.
• It is an important good in trade between individuals.
• Major – and minor – events are celebrated by drinking vodka.
• Drinking vodka is seen as a right of passage. i.e.: When becoming
a man or getting married.
• Some rituals, saying, and jokes require a full bottle of vodka to be
drunk in a sitting.
• Drinking is associated with a carefree, reckless, and cheerful
atmosphere.
• Drinking “proves” manliness.
• Many consider it improper not to finish a bottle of vodka once it
is open.
• It is a sign of respect to drink vodka someone has given to you.
• Although the price for a half-liter of vodka was recently raised
from $1.69 to $3, buying and sharing a bottle is still one of the
cheapest social activities to engage in.
Consequences of drinking:
• A high mortality rate, with the life expectance of men currently at
64.3 years, and women at 76.1.
• A higher number of deaths from TB, due to the large number of
those drinking while being treated.
• A greater number of fatal accidents, murders, suicides, and
deaths from alcohol related disease.
• Social orphans.
Discussion
While it is well established in the literature that Russia’s high mortality
rate likely comes out of the country’s propensity for drinking, a key point
brought up in almost every article is the impact the way Russians drink
has on their health. The two most detrimental characteristics of Russian
drinking habits identified are: binge drinking, and drinking mainly spirits.
In comparison to Russian drinkers, the French and Italians actually drink
more per a capita, and more regularly. It is the fact that the main drink of
choice preferred by Russians is vodka (or some form of home brew and at
times even industrial cleaners), and that while they may not consume it
daily, when they do it is by the bottle, that is most damaging. Various
studies have found that this method of drinking, in addition to the normal
problems which arise from heavy alcohol consumption, is more likely to
cause cardiac disease.
Interventions by the state attempting to curb alcohol consumption and its
negative effects on the country’s health have, unfortunately, been
unsuccessful. In attempting to undo the negative consequences the state
originally brought upon its people by encouraging the consumption of
alcohol in order to fund national revenue, it has instead caused unrest.
When alcohol was prohibited in 1914, a revolution was the eventual
outcome. When Gorbachev cut back on the amount of alcohol allowed to
be sold and consumed in 1985, there was once again another radical shift
of government a few years later. While this associations is likely a
coincidence, and while these periods of alcohol scarcity did result in a
greater life expectancy and higher birth rate, there is also no denying that
Russians were very upset by the limit imposed on their drinking. Many
turned to home brew (samogon) or perfumes and windshield wiper fluid
to slack their thirst, damaging their bodies to an even greater extent. It is
for this reason, that currently rather than advocating for less vodka
consumption, the Russian government is urging its people to drink “pure”
and high quality vodka as part of its health campaign. After all, large
amounts of vodka are less harsh on the body than large amounts of jet
fuel.
Conclusion
Russia is currently suffering through a serious drinking problem brought
about by historical, social, and economic issues which has seriously
impacted the country’s life expectancy and mortality rate. Fortunately,
Russia’s rate and manner of drinking has improved from what it was in the
90s, with the price of vodka being raised in an attempt to make it less
accessible, an increasing variety of alcohol recovery programs, and
changing social perceptions to drinking. With the young individuals’
increasing focus on business, many are switching to drinking beer to
remain more clear headed in deals. Perhaps one of the most telling
changes, is that drinking vodka is no longer seen as cultured, and drunks
are no longer the glorified characters that they once were.
Historical reasons to drink:
• The state used alcohol sales to fund itself at various points, thus
encouraging drinking.
• During WWII, Russian soldier were issued a 100g ration of vodka a
day.
Russians
drink mead.
15th Century
Timeline:
Monks use a
water and
alcohol mixture
to treat wounds.
Late 15th Century
Monks distil
mixture to drink. 1648
1/3 of male
population in
debt to vodka
taverns. Peasants
too drunk to
cultivate land.
State
makes a
monopoly
on vodka
sales.
Home brew
(samogon)
begins to
be
produced.
1860
40% of
government
revenue
comes from
1894
Mendeleyev
standardizes
alcohol
percentage of
vodka to 40.
50g of vodka a
day medically
prescribed for
good health.
1913
There is one
unlisted
distillery for
every 10
households.
1914
Tsar makes
alcohol illegal.
1925
Bolsheviks
legalize
alcohol in
order to fund
the party.
1939-1945
Every soldier
issued a
100g ration
of vodka a
1985
Gorbachev
severely cuts
back on alcohol
production and
consumption.
1987
End of anti-
alcohol
campaign.
1991
Fall of Soviet
Union.
’90s
Spike in
drinking.
2010
Medvedev
doubles price
of vodka.
Before 15th Century