Physicians, biologists, psychologists, social scientists and philosophers have spent many years trying to determine the causes of alcoholism, and as a result it is generally accepted that alcoholism is a disease which has hereditary as well as social and socio-psychological roots.

In addition to scientific theories on alcoholism, there are also common theories shared by society, which, as our polls have shown, is concerned about the issue. A very high percentage of respondents (87%) were able and willing to answer our open-ended question on the causes of alcoholism, suggesting a range of factors that are in some respects similar to those indicated in scientific research.

Most Russians believe an individual's living conditions and personality are responsible for alcoholism. In the opinion of 14% of those surveyed, weak willpower, a lack of self-confidence, and the inability to control oneself can all lead to alcoholism. Somewhat less often, respondents say that lazy people fall victim to alcoholism (12%).

Another 14% associate alcoholism with negative emotional factors such as stress, despair and hopelessness. A similar opinion is maintained by nine percent of respondents, for whom this illness is characteristic of people who fail to find their own place in life. Others believe is a disease of the poor (8%), and only three percent mentioned a hereditary predisposition to alcoholism.

A person's immediate social environment was also named as a factor, and some respondents emphasized that alcoholism is caused by lack of a loving environment and by conflicts in the family or at work (8%). Others said that bad company is the principal factor leading to alcoholism (1%), and another four percent of those surveyed believe that people who are uneducated or poorly brought-up fall victim to this disease.

Many believe alcoholism has social causes. One-fifth of adult Russians (21%) say unemployment causes alcohol addiction, another 4%, name poverty and other social problems, and 12% think that low living standards, lack of stability and difficult living conditions combined with gloomy prospects are the main factors.

A very large proportion of Russians are faced with alcoholism: 40% (and even 46% in large cities) say that there alcoholics among their relatives or people they know.

While 64% of those surveyed (and 69% of respondents with higher education) consider alcoholism a disease, the majority (73% to 74%) believe that it can be cured and quite a few think that it is not hereditary (56% of which believe alcoholism is a disease, or 36% of all surveyed). Only 28% deny that alcoholism as an illness.

Interestingly, respondents who do and who do not regard alcoholism as a disease are equally prone to disapprove of alcoholics (65% and 66%, respectively). As many of 71% of those surveyed think that the majority of Russians disapprove of alcoholics, and only 20% think that society is tolerant of alcoholism.

Most Russians believe that alcoholics are responsible for their drinking problem. This leads to a widespread belief that an alcoholic can give up drinking on his own: respondents support this opinion twice as often as those who say alcoholics cannot quit drinking on their own (62% to 29%).

When asked what they think are the most efficient ways to defeat alcoholism, 33% of respondents said that an alcoholic should "come to his senses and use his willpower." Using hypnosis treatment is best, according to 6% of respondents. Three percent think that moral support and assistance of one's partner, friends and relatives can solve the problem, and 1% said that a strong family is crucial.

Also, respondents suggested what the government could do to fight alcoholism: eliminate unemployment (15%); provide rehabilitation for alcoholics (10%); improve the standards of living (5%); provide more opportunities for self-actualization (4%); set up more compulsory treatment clinics (2%); ban alcohol advertisements and advertise healthy living (2%); and restrict the sale of alcoholic beverages and enforce stringent quality control (2%).

According to 4% of adult Russians, alcoholism is a disease that can't be cured.

Svetlana Klimova

1. U.S. Motives

The U.S. has announced plans to set up missile defense shields in Eastern Europe, namely in the Czech Republic and Poland. Do you know about this or have you heard anthing about it? Or is this the first time you have heard about it?

Do you have positive, negative or indifferent feelings about U.S. plans to set up missile defense systems in Eastern Europe?

Do you know the alleged reasons behind the United States' intent to set up a missile defense system in Eastern Europe?

2. U.S. Missile Defense Plans and Russia-U.S. Relations

Do you believe that U.S. plans to set up missile defense system in Eastern Europe present a threat to Russia's national interests?

Should Russia make any efforts to counter U.S. missile defense plans?

If the United States does set up a missile defense system in Eastern Europe, will this damage Russia-U.S. relations?

3. Should Russia Collaborate with the U.S. on Missile Defense?

The United States has invited Russia to collaborate on missile defense issues. Should Russia accept or reject this proposal?

The U.S. has announced plans to set up missile defense shields in Eastern Europe, namely in the Czech Republic and Poland. Do you know about this or have you heard anthing about it? Or is this the first time you have heard about it?

Categories of respondents, %	100	67	22	6	46	54	36	38	26	13	36	34	17	20	30	27	8	12	18	36	25
I know about it	34	33	35	42	44	25	28	38	37	21	29	35	52	20	33	43	55	30	44	32	23
I've heard something about it	32	33	31	30	31	33	28	35	33	34	31	34	27	37	33	30	22	23	36	36	30
this is the first time I've heard about it	31	30	32	26	24	38	41	25	27	41	37	28	18	39	30	25	23	39	19	29	42
hard to answer	3	4	2	2	1	5	3	3	3	4	3	3	3	4	4	2	0	9	1	2	5

Do you have positive, negative or indifferent feelings about U.S. plans to set up missile defense systems in Eastern Europe?

Categories of respondents, %	100	67	22	6	46	54	36	38	26	13	36	34	17	20	30	27	8	12	18	36	25
positive	2	2	1	7	3	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	1	2	2	1	3	2	3	2
indifferent	15	14	14	17	14	16	17	13	14	15	17	14	12	12	11	14	11	22	15	15	12
negative	74	75	76	74	77	71	70	76	76	68	72	75	80	77	78	76	82	66	76	75	72
hard to answer	9	8	9	3	6	12	11	8	8	15	9	8	6	10	9	7	5	10	7	8	14

Do you know the alleged reasons behind the United States' intent to set up a missile defense system in Eastern Europe?

Categories of respondents, %	100	67	22	6	46	54	36	38	26	13	36	34	17	20	30	27	8	12	18	36	25
I know	23	23	23	28	34	14	16	28	24	11	18	25	38	14	20	34	44	20	26	24	13
I don't know	59	59	58	53	51	65	66	53	58	69	62	57	48	69	61	51	43	54	57	61	65
hard to answer	18	18	18	19	15	21	18	18	18	19	20	18	14	17	20	15	13	25	17	16	21

Do you believe that U.S. plans to set up missile defense system in Eastern Europe present a threat to Russia's national interests?

Categories of respondents, %	100	67	22	6	46	54	36	38	26	13	36	34	17	20	30	27	8	12	18	36	25
they do	68	69	71	70	69	68	63	72	70	62	66	71	74	70	69	73	69	60	75	70	65
they do not	15	15	12	15	18	11	17	14	12	14	15	15	14	11	12	15	20	21	12	14	13
hard to answer	17	16	17	16	13	21	20	15	17	24	19	15	12	19	19	12	11	19	13	16	23

Should Russia make any efforts to counter U.S. missile defense plans?

Categories of respondents, %	100	67	22	6	46	54	36	38	26	13	36	34	17	20	30	27	8	12	18	36	25
it should	61	62	63	59	65	57	56	65	61	51	57	64	69	56	62	66	65	46	73	64	53
it shouldn't	12	12	12	16	14	11	13	11	11	11	11	12	14	12	11	10	23	17	9	9	11
hard to answer	27	26	25	25	21	33	30	23	28	38	31	23	18	32	27	23	11	37	18	27	35

If the United States does set up a missile defense system in Eastern Europe, will this damage Russia-U.S. relations?

Categories of respondents, %	100	67	22	6	46	54	36	38	26	13	36	34	17	20	30	27	8	12	18	36	25
it will	53	54	53	65	55	52	48	56	57	46	50	56	61	56	55	60	66	57	55	50	51
it will not	18	18	18	11	21	14	21	18	13	14	19	17	19	13	17	19	20	18	19	19	14
hard to answer	29	28	28	24	24	33	31	26	30	40	31	26	20	31	29	22	14	26	26	30	35

The United States has invited Russia to collaborate on missile defense issues. Should Russia accept or reject this proposal?

Categories of respondents, %	100	67	22	6	46	54	36	38	26	13	36	34	17	20	30	27	8	12	18	36	25
accept	22	24	21	16	26	19	22	25	19	13	21	24	30	18	22	27	31	20	26	24	15
reject	37	39	36	45	43	33	36	39	37	32	36	38	42	39	38	37	47	27	42	36	38
hard to answer	40	37	43	39	31	48	42	36	44	55	43	37	28	43	40	37	22	53	32	39	47

POF database > International > International Organizations and Blocs > NATO > U.S. Plans to Set Up a Missile Defense System in Eastern Europe