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The objective of this paper was to analyze the impact of the transition period on illicit drug use and its health consequences in Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. Available data were compiled to illustrate the trends and policy responses since 1991, when the countries had become politically independent and implemented radical changes in their social systems, which is particularly prominent in the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The transition period was associated with a rapid and dramatic increase in the supply of drugs combined with an increased demand, which was influenced by a range of social, economic and psychological factors. There was a sharp increase in negative public health consequences too. Inadequate policy responses might have had serious implications for economic and human development in the countries with a total population of more than 200 million people. The role of research to support policy responses is also discussed.Copyright © 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the scarcity of alcohol prevention and use disorder treatments in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the World Health Organization has launched an eHealth portal that includes the web-based self-help program "Alcohol e-Health."Objective: We aimed to test the effectiveness of the Alcohol e-Health program in a randomized controlled trial.Methods: This was a two-arm, individually randomized, and controlled trial across four LMICs comparing the self-help program and a psychoeducation and internet access as usual waiting list. Participants were broadly recruited from community samples in Belarus, Brazil, India, and Mexico from January 2016 through January 2019. The primary outcome measure was change in the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score with a time frame of 6 months between baseline and follow-up. Secondary outcomes included self-reported numbers of standard drinks over the previous week and cessation of harmful or hazardous drinking (AUDIT score <8).Results: For this study, we recruited 1400 predominantly male (n=982, 70.1%) at least harmful or hazardous alcohol drinkers. The mean age was 37.6 years (SD 10.5). The participants were recruited from Brazil (n=587), Mexico (n=509), India (n=212), and Belarus (n=92). Overall, complete case analysis identified higher AUDIT changes in the intervention group (B=-4.18, 95% CI -5.42 to -2.93, P<.001, d=0.56) that were mirrored by changes in weekly standard drinks (B=-9.34, 95% CI -15.90 to -2.77, P=.005, d=0.28) and cessation rates for harmful or hazardous drinking (χ21=14.56, N=561, P<.001). The supplementary intention-to-treat analyses largely confirmed these initial results.Conclusions: The expansion of the Alcohol e-Health program to other LMICs with underdeveloped alcohol prevention and treatment systems for alcohol use disorders should be considered after successful replication of the present results.Trial Registration: ISRCTN ISRCTN14037475; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN14037475.International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): RR2-10.1111/add.14034. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents core findings of a pre-intervention survey of psychoactive substance use in two communities in the Republic of Belarus and three communities in the Russian Federation between December 2000 and March 2001. The survey was part of the Global Initiative for the primary prevention of psychoactive substance use among young people in eight countries, initiated by the United Nations International Drug Control Program and the World Health Organization. The survey found that young people (10-21 year olds) fairly commonly reported the use of psychoactive substances, especially the use of malt beer and cigarettes. The young people also tended to report such use among significant others (e.g. (step)fathers, (step)mothers, older siblings, and close friends) in their lives. The young people in the Russian Federation sites tended to approve of various forms of psychoactive substance use among their peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]