The study findings provide support for the hypothesis that suicide and alcohol consumption are closely connected in the Russian culture, where intoxication-oriented drinking patterns prevail. The results of the time-series analysis indicate a statistically significant association between the two time series at zero lag, with the association being strongest for males. This study replicates previous findings from other settings that suggest a positive link between heavy alcohol consumption and suicide at the aggregate level. Alcohol-control policies in Russia underwent significant changes during the second half of the 20th century, ranging from tough restrictions in the mid-1980s to a total lack of control following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite the fact that alcohol-control policies remained a low priority for the Soviet Government between 1950 and 1985, there were brief campaigns that addressed alcohol-related problems in 1958, 1966, 1972, and 1982. The subsequent risk in the suicide and alcohol-poisoning rates from 1998 to 2005 may be associated with the financial crisis and worsening economic situation. The author notes that although binge drinking is apparently a risk factor for self-destructive behavior, alcohol poisoning and suicide may be influenced by a confounding variable, which means that the correlation is spurious due to an association of the two variables with a common cause, such as the stress experienced by Russians during the transition period. The data on age-adjusted, sex-specific suicide and alcohol poisoning mortality rates per 1,000,000 residents were obtained from the Russian vital statistics registration system. ARIMA analysis assessed the bivariate relationship between the two time series. 4 figures, 4 tables, and 33 references