Abstract
The problem of alcohol misuse in Russia is well known; but nonetheless there is a tendency to exaggerate it, which disguises shortcomings of the health care. In this way, responsibility for the relatively low life expectancy is shifted onto the patients, who choose to drink excessively, to consume poor quality or non-beverage alcohol, and prefer the heavy binge drinking. Exaggeration can be illustrated with the example of studies on acute pancreatitis and alcohol discussed in this letter. The incidence of complications including acute pancreatitis may be related not only to the quantity of consumed alcohol but also to its quality i.e. substances other than ethanol in poor-quality beverages and non-beverage alcohol-containing fluids. Sales of poor-quality alcohol were often tolerated by authorities. Admittedly, a tendency of quality improvement has been noticed since approximately the last decade. In conclusion, among the main causes of the relatively low life expectancy in Russia especially among men are insufficient quality and availability of health care, poor quality and toxicity of some alcoholic beverages.
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