Alcohol policy in a Russian region: a stakeholder analysis.

"Conflicts of interest : None declared."

"Funding This study was funded by the Wellcome Trust. Conflicts of interest: None declared. Key pointsIn a typical Russian region, organizations that might be expected to play a role in developing or implementing alcohol policy are almost entirely disengaged and highly fragmented.There was no evidence of multi-sectoral collaboration to promote health, leaving alcohol producers free to block any restrictions on their activities.There is a need to communicate the fact that effective action to reduce alcohol consumption is possible in Russia.Implementation of effective alcohol policy at the regional level in Russia is challenging, given the existence of a powerful pro-alcohol lobby opposed to any initiatives to reduce alcohol consumption."