The number of alcoholics in Moscow has increased dramatically
In the second year of the war in Ukraine, the number of patients newly diagnosed with alcoholism in private drug addiction clinics in Moscow increased dramatically. In general, the number of cases of alcohol addiction in the country has been increasing for the past five years, and the increase is about 15 percent annually.
In the second year of the war in Ukraine, the number of newly diagnosed alcohol addiction patients in private drug addiction clinics in Moscow has increased dramatically, RBK reports .
Last year, the number of such patients at "Doctor Isaeva Clinic" increased by 44% compared to 2022. The increase in the number of first-time patients in the Marshak clinic was 27 percent, and in the ProMed clinic it was 15.5 percent, medical institutions told RBK.
"Always, during crises, there has been an increase in alcohol consumption: people are looking for some kind of peace, they want to forget," says Ruslan Isaev, a psychiatrist, narcologist, head of the department of narcology and psychiatry at the "Doctor Isaeva Clinic".
The medical expert previously mentioned that even during the coronavirus pandemic, alcohol consumption has increased significantly, and as a result, the demand for drug treatment has increased. According to him, in 2019, compared to 2018, the increase in the number of patients diagnosed with alcoholism for the first time was 10% in Dr. Isaev's clinic, 18% in Marshak's clinic, and 13% in ProMed's clinic.
After the war in Ukraine, the number of repeat visits of patients increased, says Dmitry Vashkin, a doctor at the Marshak clinic.
"People experienced stress, anxiety, and that triggered a relapse," he explained.
"The number of cases of alcohol addiction has been increasing for five years, and the growth is about 15 percent annually," says Maria Kulinskaya, general director of ProMed's narcology clinic.
"Alcohol becomes an 'escape' from reality, a way to cope with fear and uncertainty about the future," he added.
"At the same time, the trend is said to continue in 2024: in the first quarter of 2024, the number of requests increased by 20 percent compared to the same period last year," Vashkin said. The statistics of sold alcoholic beverages also indicate the extent to which the population is addicted to alcohol. In 2023, the record of the last nine years was renewed: up to 8 liters of pure alcohol is available to a consumer over 15 years old.
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