Alcohol availability and affordability in three constituent entities of the Russian Federation

Aim. To analyze availability and affordability of alcoholic beverages in Russian cities.Material and methods. We assessed the actual state of urban infrastructure in the Arkhangelsk, Tver and Sverdlovsk regions. Data were collected in three districts of Arkhangelsk, three districts of Tver, three districts of Yekaterinburg and Revda, where participants of the Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases and their Risk Factors in Regions of Russian Federation-3 (ESSE-RF3) study (2021) lived. The study objects were elements of the city infrastructure where alcoholic beverages were sold. To assess the infrastructure, special software was developed to collect and analyze the necessary data using Open Street Maps. Data were collected from January to March 2022.Results. In total, 1180 alcohol-selling outlets were identified in the study areas: in Arkhangelsk — 450, in Yekaterinburg and Revda — 444, and in Tver — 286. Mainly alcoholic beverages in Sverdlovsk and Tver regions can be purchased in the alcohol section of a grocery store (n=260, 58,6% and n=185, 41,4%, respectively), and in the Arkhangelsk region — in a specialized liquor stores (n=263, 58,4%). The median number of alcohol stores located within a radius of 1000 m from the place of residence of the ESSE-RF3 participant was 33, and within a radius of 400 meters — 8. In Arkhangelsk, the alcohol was sold in a grocery store located in the same building as the college branch. In the Sverdlovsk region, the nearest alcohol store was located at a distance of 50 m from the kindergarten, in the Tver region — 44 m from the college. A 0,5 liter bottle of vodka was sold below the price floor in 55,1% of specialized liquor stores in the Sverdlovsk region and in 66,8% of such liquor stores in the Tver region.Conclusion. As a result of the study, availability and affordability of alcoholic beverages in Arkhangelsk, Tver, Yekaterinburg and Revda was assessed. The findings reflect the high availability of alcohol and indicate the need for interventions at both the national and local government levels. The used method of collecting and analyzing data demonstrated sufficient research effectiveness and can be recommended for wider use.