Most Ukraine Cold Deaths Alcohol-Related, Minister Says
From Antonia Mortensen. Matthew Chance and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN
Updated 4:34 PM EST, Wed February 8, 2011.
Freshly plowed snow frames a road in Bucharest on January 27.
Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Alcohol has been involved in most of the deaths blamed on the extreme cold in Ukraine, the country worst affected by the icy temperatures gripping Eastern Europe, a government minister said Wednesday.
Nine out of 10 of the deaths reported have been alcohol-related, Emergency Situations Minister Viktor Baloga said. At least 135 deaths have been reported in Ukraine in the past two weeks, but he suggested the actual number that can be blamed on the winter weather is somewhat lower, at 112.
About 3,000 people have been hospitalized because of the cold since January 27, officials said. Authorities in Ukraine have set up an emergency hospital to deal with people suffering from cold-related conditions, and distributed 3,000 emergency relief tents across the country, they said. The tents are heated, and people with nowhere else to go can get hot food and drinks.
Ukraine's capital, Kiev, has more than 14,000 homeless people, authorities said. They are among the most vulnerable to winter's bitter chill. Dr. Anatoliiy Vershigora, doctor-in-chief at an emergency help station in Kiev, told CNN many of those suffering frostbite, hypothermia and in some cases death were alcoholics -- but that others had been drinking in the mistaken belief it would help keep them warm.
Outdoor workers, such as those at market stalls, were also suffering frostbite in the extreme conditions, he said, as were some children whose parents had let them spend too long outside. Joe Lowry, a spokesman for the International Red Cross in Europe, said: "It is an unfortunate fact that a lot of homeless people are alcoholic or dependent on other substances -- it may be why they are homeless in the first place.
"Alcohol creates the illusion of being warm, so it's not surprising that people are drinking and not surprising that they pass out," he said, adding that this is when hypothermia can occur. "Our approach would be to try to get to these people before they have too much to drink, if we can find them and get them to safety. Obviously, a full belly or hot drinks is far, far better for you than vodka."
Red Cross volunteers have been working with authorities to help distribute warm clothing, boots, hot food and drinks in Ukraine and elsewhere, Lowry said, speaking to CNN from Slovakia. But, he added, the people who are most in need of help are often hard to locate. "These people are outside the normal safety nets, difficult to find, and don't realize the great danger they are in."
Dr. Sam Zakhari, director of the Division of Metabolism and Health Effects in the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health, said consuming alcohol is dangerous in cold weather for two main reasons.
One is that alcohol causes the dilation of blood vessels in the skin, which means they are wider and more blood passes through. This makes the person feel hot, which is not an issue if the person is warmly dressed and indoors, Zakhari said. But "if he or she is not wearing enough warm clothes they will lose heat rapidly, and that can contribute to hypothermia."
Secondly, he said, a person who is inebriated may not have the ability to judge what's happening or respond appropriately. He or she may slip and fall in the icy conditions and risk becoming unconscious, or fall asleep as alcohol depresses the central nervous system, he said.
Zakhari advises those who are inebriated to stay inside for safety, where possible, or if they must be outside to dress in several warm layers to stop heat escaping and try to ward off hypothermia.
Kiev marked its 24th consecutive day of below-freezing temperatures Wednesday, with a low of minus 18 Celsius (minus 0.4 Fahrenheit), CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said. It could normally expect a high of minus 2 degrees Celsius at this time of year. And there is little respite in prospect for those suffering in the unusual cold.
Another surge of frigid air is pushing westward out of Russia into the rest of Europe for the end of the week, with Central and Eastern Europe catching the brunt of the coldest air, Miller said. Temperatures in some of the hardest hit countries, such as Ukraine, Romania, Hungary and Serbia, will once again drop below average by as much as 15 to 20 degrees Celsius (25 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit).
Warsaw, in Poland, which would normally expect a high of 2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit), has now spent 15 days below freezing, while Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina has spent 14 days in subzero temperatures, well below the average for this time of year of 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit.)
Temperatures are likely to remain below average well into next week, at the least, with no significant warming likely until late February, Miller said. Parts of the Danube River, one of the most important rivers in Europe for commerce, have nearly frozen over for the first time in 25 years, showing not only the intensity of this cold snap, but also its longevity.
The sustained cold spell is also putting a strain on power providers across the region and has raised questions over Europe's reliance on Russia for gas, as supplies sent via Ukraine have dipped below the expected levels.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuri Boyko said electricity consumption in the country is historically high.
Most Ukraine Cold Deaths Alcohol-Related
Re: Most Ukraine Cold Deaths Alcohol-Related
Linear Mode
