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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Russian men losing years to vodka | Russian men losing years to vodka |
| (4 days later) | |
| Russian men who down large amounts of vodka have an "extraordinarily" high risk of an early death, a new study | Russian men who down large amounts of vodka have an "extraordinarily" high risk of an early death, a new study |
| says. | says. |
| Researchers tracked about 151,000 adult men in the Russian cities of | Researchers tracked about 151,000 adult men in the Russian cities of |
| Barnaul, Byisk and Tomsk from 1999 to 2010. They interviewed them about | Barnaul, Byisk and Tomsk from 1999 to 2010. They interviewed them about |
| their drinking habits and, when about 8,000 later died, followed up to | their drinking habits and, when about 8,000 later died, followed up to |
| monitor their causes of death. | monitor their causes of death. |
| The risk of dying before age 55 for those who said they drank three or | The risk of dying before age 55 for those who said they drank three or |
| more half-litre bottles of vodka a week was a shocking 35%. | more half-litre bottles of vodka a week was a shocking 35%. |
| Overall, a quarter of Russian men die before reaching 55, compared with 7% of men in the UK and about 10% in the | |
| United States. The life expectancy for men in Russia is 64 years, | United States. The life expectancy for men in Russia is 64 years, |
| placing it among the lowest 50 countries in the world in that category. | placing it among the lowest 50 countries in the world in that category. |
| It is not clear how many Russian men drink three bottles or more a week. | It is not clear how many Russian men drink three bottles or more a week. |
| Lead researcher Sir Richard Peto of Oxford University said the average | Lead researcher Sir Richard Peto of Oxford University said the average |
| Russian adult drank 20 litres of vodka per year while the average | Russian adult drank 20 litres of vodka per year while the average |
| Briton drank about three litres of spirits. | Briton drank about three litres of spirits. |
| "Russians clearly drink a lot but it's this pattern of getting really | "Russians clearly drink a lot but it's this pattern of getting really |
| smashed on vodka and then continuing to drink that is dangerous," Peto | smashed on vodka and then continuing to drink that is dangerous," Peto |
| said. | said. |
| "The rate of men dying prematurely in Russia is totally out of line with | "The rate of men dying prematurely in Russia is totally out of line with |
| the rest of Europe," he said. "There's also a heavy drinking culture in | the rest of Europe," he said. "There's also a heavy drinking culture in |
| Finland and Poland but they still have nothing like Russia's risk of | Finland and Poland but they still have nothing like Russia's risk of |
| death." | death." |
| Alcohol has long been a top killer in Russia and vodka is often the | Alcohol has long been a top killer in Russia and vodka is often the |
| drink of choice, available cheaply and often homemade in small villages. | drink of choice, available cheaply and often homemade in small villages. |
| Previous studies have estimated that more than 40% of | Previous studies have estimated that more than 40% of |
| working-age men in Russia die because they drink too much, including | working-age men in Russia die because they drink too much, including |
| using alcohol that is not meant to be consumed, like that in colognes and | using alcohol that is not meant to be consumed, like that in colognes and |
| antiseptics. | antiseptics. |
| Drinking is so engrained in Russian culture there's a word that describes a drinking binge that lasts several days: zapoi. | Drinking is so engrained in Russian culture there's a word that describes a drinking binge that lasts several days: zapoi. |
| Peto said there was some evidence of a similar effect in Russian women | Peto said there was some evidence of a similar effect in Russian women |
| who also drank heavily but there was not enough data to draw a broad | who also drank heavily but there was not enough data to draw a broad |
| conclusion. | conclusion. |
| The study was paid for by the UK Medical Research Council and others. It was published online in the journal Lancet. | The study was paid for by the UK Medical Research Council and others. It was published online in the journal Lancet. |
| Other experts said the Russian preference for hard liquor was particularly dangerous. "If you're drinking vodka you get a lot more ethanol in that than if | Other experts said the Russian preference for hard liquor was particularly dangerous. "If you're drinking vodka you get a lot more ethanol in that than if |
| you were drinking something like lager," said David Leon, a professor of | you were drinking something like lager," said David Leon, a professor of |
| epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who | epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who |
| has also studied the impact of alcohol in Russia but was not part of | has also studied the impact of alcohol in Russia but was not part of |
| the Lancet study. | the Lancet study. |
| He said changing drinking patterns in Russia to combat the problem was | He said changing drinking patterns in Russia to combat the problem was |
| possible but that it would take a significant cultural adjustment. | possible but that it would take a significant cultural adjustment. |
| "It's not considered out of order to drink until you can't function in | "It's not considered out of order to drink until you can't function in |
| Russia," Leon said. "It just seems to be part of being a guy in Russia | Russia," Leon said. "It just seems to be part of being a guy in Russia |
| that you are expected to drink heavily." | that you are expected to drink heavily." |
| • This article was amended on 4 February 2014. The original version said fewer than 1% of men in the United States die before reaching the age of 55. The figure is about 10%. This has been corrected. |