Alcohol and Alcoholism in Russia

The book deals with one of the great scourges of humanity: alcoholism. The focus is on Russia since 1970, but the subject matter is significant in a global context. As such the book should be interesting to experts in medicine and toxicology, social workers, students of anthropology, sociology, and history: a broad base of readers. There has been a tendency to exaggerate the topic used to veil shortcomings of the health care system in Russia, with responsibility for the relatively low life expectancy especially in males shifted onto people, that is, self-inflicted diseases caused by alcohol abuse. Besides, the purpose of this book is to draw attention to the unstable quality of legally sold beverages, which have caused poisonings up to lethality, even after consumption of moderate doses, crime against alcoholics and people with alcohol-related dementia; it is aimed at appropriation of their immobile and other properties, and overtreatment of alcoholics in medical institutions.

Dr Sirion Robertson is a retired South African academic with a degree in zoology and physiology. He has spent most of his working life lecturing to pharmacy students on human physiology. Dr Robertson is interested in the teaching of physics at high school level, and has co-authored several books in this field. His interest in humanity and overpopulation has formed over decades of experiences in southern Africa, where the demographic problems are strongly apparent and keenly felt in a variety of ways. Dr Sergei Jargin entered I.M. Sechenov Medical Academy (recently renamed university) in Moscow, Russia and graduated in 1983. An interruption (1974-1977) included 2 years of army service, and work as a driver and mortuary assistant. He received postgraduate training in pathology at the same institution until 1986. Besides this, he repeatedly worked in the North of Russia and Siberia, altogether up to 3 years. Thereafter, he was a pathologist and lecturer at the I.M. Sechenov Medical Academy. Since 1995, he has been a lecturer at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia in Moscow. His interests include social, medical, and pathological aspects of alcohol consumption and alcoholism.