The politicization of alcohol in the USSR and its impact on the study and treatment of alcoholism.

Conducting research, particularly social science or health-related research, in the former Soviet Union was difficult because of the intrusion of communist ideology on public policy, theory, research, and practice. This report provides a description of drinking and alcohol-related problems in Siberia that was not previously available for publication. It reviews how the Soviet State's policies effected the study and treatment of alcoholism in Russia, and presents a critical review of these policies that would not have been permitted under the previous regime.