According to a new study that focuses on Russians and their consumption of vodka, drinking more might lead to premature death or other negative health consequences. Russia reportedly has a very low life expectancy, with a quarter of men dying before age 55.
According to a new study that focuses on Russians and their consumption of vodka, excessive consumption is a major cause of the country’s premature deaths and other negative health consequences.
Russia reportedly has a very low life expectancy, with a quarter of men dying before age 55.
Researchers studied a group of 151 thousand Russians over the course of 10 years.
Participants in the study who were heavy drinkers were reportedly more likely to die from a variety of causes including alcohol poisoning, car accidents, suicide, violence, cancer, and other diseases.
Results of the study show that men who were smokers and drank a liter and half or more of vodka every week were 35 percent more likely to die within 20 years than men who drank less than a half liter per week.
Studies of Russian history show the influence that alcohol has had on the country’s mortality rate.
For example, when alcohol was illegal in the Soviet Union for a few years in the 1980s, deaths among men under the age of 55 decreased. After new sales regulations were enacted in 2006, sales of liquor dropped by 33 percent along with a decrease in mortality rates. Despite this, the average life expectancy of the Russian male is reportedly only 64 years.
