HOUSTON , TX, UNITED STATES, November 6, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ -- How is hazardous drinking associated with violent mortality among men? New research to be published in Social Problems, a flagship academic journal of sociology, finds that Russian men with hazardous drinking patterns are at a markedly higher risk of becoming victims of violent death compared to men who do not drink with the same fervor. Results from this study show that men ages 25 to 54 are five times more likely to become a homicide victim and also five times more likely to die a violent death compared with non-problem drinkers.

These findings by William Alex Pridemore, Dean and Professor from School of Criminal Justice at University at Albany – State University of New York, provide a new look into violent victimization and new knowledge of how alcohol contributes to crime. Data for this work came from the Izhevsk Family Study (IFS), a large-scale study of premature mortality among working-age Russian men. Unique to this study is the use of population-based data to explore the effects of hazardous drinking on violent mortality; that is, the data is representative of a medium-sized industrial Russian city.

Consumption of alcohol was shockingly correlated with 64% of homicide victims being defined as “problem drinkers,” a strong and rather unexpected relationship. In the 12 months before they died, homicide victims drank 17 liters of alcohol (4.5 U.S. gallons) on average and 29% of victims consumed more than 20 liters of pure ethanol (5.3 U.S. gallons).

Additionally, at least once a week 40% of victims drank non-beverage alcohol. Non-beverage alcohols or “alcohol surrogates” can be found in such items as colognes, medicines, and cleaning fluids. Pridemore found that “those who drank them were about 1 to 2 times or 3+ times per week were about 11 and 15 times more likely [or more] to die a violent death” compared with those who did not.

The author describes three key potential explanations for why heavy drinkers are likely victims. First, victims had histories of heavy drinking and other associated negative outcomes such as aggression, economic and financial insecurity, issues on the job, etc. Second, victims frequented bars which are associated with chaotic lifestyles, anti-social personality disorder, and of course, alcohol consumption. Third, among victims, intoxication at the time of the incident impeded judgment and decision making which increases potential for precarious behaviors.

For further information, please contact Kasey Henricks at kaseyh@uic.edu or the corresponding author William Alex Pridemore at pridemore@albany.edu. The article is entitled, “Hazardous Drinking and Mortality Among Males: Evidence from a Population-Based Case-Controlled Study,” and it appears in the November 2016 issue of "Social Problems."


Social Problems is the official publication of The Society for the Study of Social Problems and one of the most widely respected and read professional journals in the social sciences. This quarterly journal presents accessible, relevant, and innovative articles that uphold critical perspectives on contemporary social issues. For additional commentary, you can follow the journal on Twitter at @socprobsjournal.

Kasey Henricks
Social Problems
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