The main thing is to know when to stop!

November 26-27, 2003 in the regional center in the conference hall of the Regional Hospital a conference of therapists from Pskov and the Pskov region was held. Its program included coverage of the most pressing issues of medicine in various branches (directions). Our city became the fourth after Vologda, Kaliningrad and Veliky Novgorod, where an event of this level was held.

The conference participants had the opportunity to listen to an interesting report by Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor V.N. Mineev on the topic "The medical and social problem of alcoholization of the population and possible ways to limit it." It was noted that an extremely unfavorable structure of consumed drinks has been established in our country. The share of spirits consumed by the Russian population is currently 70-75%, while in most other countries this figure is about 25-30%. The data provided by Professor Mineev is simply horrifying. Yes, at the end of 2001. 2 million 192 thousand patients with alcoholism and alcoholic psychoses were under supervision in narcological and psychiatric dispensaries, which amounted to 1529.5 people for every 100 thousand of the population. Under preventive supervision were 403 thousand people who abuse alcohol, but without the formation of dependence on it.

As measures to limit the alcoholization of the population, Professor V.N. Mineev considers the most relevant to form the optimal structure of sold alcoholic products, due to an increase in the share of high-quality grape wines and beer in it, as well as the elimination from the market of surrogates of alcoholic beverages prepared using alcohol from non-food raw materials.

At the conference, the role of general practitioners and family doctors in the work to identify people with alcohol problems was noted, the importance of explanatory work among the population on a healthy lifestyle, teaching the culture of consuming alcoholic beverages, including beer, was emphasized. Since most people's minds equate alcohol consumption in moderation and alcoholism, which is associated with alcohol abuse, a distinction has been made between alcohol consumption, abuse and alcohol dependence. The rule, built on rigorous scientific evidence, was also announced - "to drink in moderation is to drink within the limits of your own health, the society in which you live, and also within the limits of your obligations to family and friends."

Recent studies show that moderate consumption of beer and wine is not only not harmful, but, on the contrary, can have a positive effect on human health. Moderate consumption of beer helps to reduce the deposition of fats, the absorption of copper from food, which is necessary for the heart in microdoses. People who drink beer moderately tend to have lower blood pressure than those who don't drink at all. Moderate beer consumption has a positive effect on the protective effect of cholesterol (HDL). At the same time, it reduces the content of that part of cholesterol (LDL), which leads to atherosclerosis. Thus, moderate beer consumption reduces the risk of myocardial infarction. A dose of 2-4 drinks per day (1drink is equal to 0.25 liters of a drink with a strength of 4-5% by volume, which corresponds to about 10g of alcohol) provides the maximum protective effect against early mortality, even compared with those who do not drink alcohol at all. Moderate consumption of all types of alcohol, including wine and beer, in moderate doses can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in both men and women, cardiovascular disease by 17%, which equates moderate alcohol consumption as a preventive measure, to the use of aspirin, antioxidants, weight control, exercise. In addition to all of the above, with moderate alcohol consumption, the risk of developing osteoporosis, goiter, senile dementia, gallbladder stones and Parkinson's disease is reduced.

At the conference, the idea was voiced that it is impossible to make an alcoholic a teetotaler, but everything possible must be done so that young people do not abuse alcoholic beverages. If the younger generation is already accustomed to spending leisure time with the obligatory consumption of alcoholic beverages, then it is better that they drink non-alcoholic beer, and it is no coincidence that as part of the above-mentioned event, the Baltika company presented non-alcoholic beer Baltika No. 0 to the attention of general practitioners. . This product has been recognized at the Moscow Beer Festival for 3 years in a row as the best non-alcoholic beer in our country.

According to Marianna Volodina, a representative of the Baltika company: “The main goal of the plant’s participation in the conference is to convey complete and reliable information about the usefulness of non-alcoholic beer Baltika No. 0, which today accounts for 50% of the non-alcoholic beer market in Russia. The Baltika Company initiated the creation of the public movement “For the Health of the Nation!”, the purpose of which is to unite beer industry participants, public organizations, government officials and consumers and which is aimed at improving the health of the Russian population by increasing the culture of consumption of high-quality, harmless and healthy drinks, especially non-alcoholic beer.

Dmitry Ivanov.