Suicide and alcohol poisoning in Belarus between 1970 and 2005.
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.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate the aggregate level effect of binge drinking on suicide rate.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Razvodovsky
Yu E
YE
Grodno State Medical University, Belarus. razvodovsky@grsmu.by
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D002094:Republic of Belarus / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D000431:Ethanol