DIVORCE AND DRINKING - AN ANALYSIS OF RUSSIAN DATA

This study uses data on 374 respondents, aged 16 and older, from the M oscow Oblast Survey to examine the relationship between alcohol consum ption and divorce in Russia. A logit regression model of drinking in M oscow finds that both divorced and single persons have elevated risks of drinking relative to married persons. This relationship is independ ent of control variables including gender, education level, and religi osity. Hence, although Russian alcohol consumption has been largely ty pified as a reaction to macrosociological problems such as terrorism a nd chronic shortages of consumer goods, a Western model of divorce and drinking is supported.