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IntroductionSince 2003, Russia has experienced steep decline in alcohol psychoses incidence rate (APIR) and a parallel downward trend in the population drinking, driven mainly by a decrease in vodka (spirits) consumption. A coincidence in these trends allows us to hypothesize that the reduction in the APIR during recent decade might be attributed to the shift in the structure of consumption from vodka towards beer as a result of alcohol policy reforms.ObjectivesIn this study we will test the hypothesis of beverage-specific effect on APIR by analyzing Russian's time series data.MethodsTime-series analytical modeling techniques (ARIMA) were used to examine the relation between the sale of different alcoholic beverages (vodka, wine, beer) and APIR between 1980 and 2010.ResultsThe analysis suggests that of the three beverages vodka alone was associated with APIR. The estimated effect of vodka sale on the alcohol psychoses rate is clearly statistically significant: a 1 liter increase in vodka sale would result in a 27.4% increase in the APIR.ConclusionsThe findings from this study provide support for the hypothesis that the shift in the structure of consumption from vodka towards beer as a result of alcohol control measures has had a positive impact on bringing down the APIR in Russia during recent decade. This research evidence also suggest that Russian government's attempt to curb the high level of alcohol-related problems have been successful and provide additional evidence that pricing policy may be an effective strategy to reduce an alcohol-related burden.

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Stroke is an international health problem with high associated human and economic costs. The mortality rate from stroke in Russia is one of the highest in the world. Risk factors identification is therefore a high priority from the public health perspective. Epidemiological evidence suggests that binge drinking is an important determinant of high stroke mortality rate in Russia. The aim of the present study was to estimate the premature stroke mortality attributable to alcohol abuse in Russia on the basis of aggregate-level data of stroke mortality and alcohol consumption. Age-standardized sex-specific male and female stroke mortality data for the period 1980-2005 and data on overall alcohol consumption were analyzed by means ARIMA time series analysis. The results of the analysis suggest that 26.8% of all male stroke deaths and 18.4% female stroke deaths in Russia could be attributed to alcohol. The estimated alcohol-attributable fraction for men ranged from 16.2% (75+ age group) to 57,5% (30-44 age group) and for women from 21.7% (60-74 age group) and 43.5% (30-44 age group). The outcomes of this study provide support for the hypothesis that alcohol is an important contributor to the high stroke mortality rate in Russian Federation. Therefore prevention of alcoholattributable harm should be a major public health priority in Russia.Given the distribution of alcohol-related stroke deaths, interventions should be focused on the young and middle-aged men and women.