Citation

Razvodovsky YE. Adicciones 2007; 19(3): 297-303.

Affiliation

Grodno State Medical University, Belarus. razvodovsky@grsmu.by

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Socidrogalcohol)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

17724931

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The association between alcohol and suicide is well documented. The solid body of research and empirical evidence suggests that hazardous pattern of alcohol consumption (binge drinking) lead to quicker and deeper intoxication, increasing the propensity for alcohol-related suicide. PURPOSE: To estimate the aggregate level effect of binge drinking on suicide rate. METHOD: Trends in suicide and fatal alcohol poisoning rate (as a proxy for binge drinking) from 1970 to 2005 in Belarus were analyzed employing ARIMA analysis in order to assess bivariate relationship between two time series. RESULTS: The results of time series analysis suggests close relationship between suicide and fatal alcohol poisoning rate at aggregate level. CONCLUSION: This study supports the hypothesis that suicide and alcohol closely connected in culture with prevailing intoxication-oriented drinking patterns and adds to the growing body of evidence that a substantial proportion of suicide in Belarus is due to acute effect of binge drinking.

Language: es