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Background and aimsYoung Russians have been drinking less alcohol, and fewer strong spirits in particular, in recent years. This study aimed to disentangle age, period and birth cohort effects for the first time in Russia to improve our understanding of these trends.DesignAge, period and cohort analysis of annual nationally representative repeated cross‐sectional surveys [Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey– Higher School of Economics (RLMS‐HSE)] using separate logistic models for each gender.SettingRussia 1994–2016.ParticipantsA total of 195 234 respondents aged 14–85 years.MeasurementsAge (14 groups: 14‐17 to 76+ years), period (21 years: 1994–2016) and birth cohorts (17 groups: 1920–24 to 2000–02). Outcome measures were 30‐day overall and beverage‐specific alcohol use prevalence accounting for vodka, moonshine, beer and wine. Controls were per capita income, education, marital status, ethnicity, residence type and regional climate.FindingsControlling for age and period effects, the most recent cohorts had lower rates of participation than older cohorts. Findings were valid for females born in 1995–2002 (P = 0.000) and males born in 1990–94 (P = 0.002) and 1995–2002 (P = 0.000). The period effects were strong in 1994–2003 due to intensive substitution of beer in place of vodka. Period effects were also important in determining a decline of prevalence in 2008–15 due to restrictive alcohol policy. Age effects showed an inverse U‐shaped trend in both genders, except for moonshine and wine. Overall, drinking profiles were beverage‐specific. Models indicated diverse beverage‐specific effects of income, ethnicity, education, marital status and residence on the prevalence of alcohol use.ConclusionThe recent downward trend in alcohol use in Russia appears to be attributable to reduced participation rates among younger cohorts born after 1990.

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Introduction Sales and survey data have shown a decline in alcohol consumption in Russia since 2007. This study examines whether this decline is consistent across lighter and heavier drinkers in line with the theory of the collectivity of drinking cultures. Methods Data were collected through annual nationally representative surveys conducted between 2006 and 2018 of 33 109 individuals aged 18–85 years. We estimated generalised linear regression with Gamma distribution and used log alcohol volume consumed during the previous 30 days as the dependent variable for five percentile groups: heavy drinkers (95th), near heavy drinkers (90th), moderate drinkers (80th), light drinkers (60th for men and 70th for women) and non‐drinkers. Dummy variables for years, percentile groups and their interactions were used as independent variables. The controls were age, education, income, body weight, marital status, household demographic structure, residence, ethnicity and regional climate. Results Reductions in alcohol consumption were observed in all percentiles, but the scale of change was proportionally smaller among heavier drinkers than among lighter drinkers. However, consumption fell by a smaller amount among lighter drinkers than among heavier drinkers. Results of the regression analysis fit with the descriptive statistics. Interactions between the time period and the percentile groups were significant after 2010. Trends were similar for both sexes. Discussion and Conclusions Downward trends across percentiles were in the same direction but the magnitude of change varied. Obtained evidence fails to support a polarisation and points towards soft collectivity hypothesis in the reduction in drinking in Russia.

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