Soviet Epidemic, U.S. Treatment : Alcoholism: Two specialists from the U.S.S.R. are touring the U.S. studying American recovery programs.

If Semyon A. Simbirtsev and Artak Meyroyan have their way, millions of Soviets will soon be following the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. They will exercise to ease stress and disregard the advice of many Soviet physicians who prescribe “a shot of cognac” at the first sign of illness or depression.

The two Soviets, specialists in alcoholism, are investigating American methods of treatment. That investigation recently brought them to a detox center in Skid Row.

“We have an epidemic on our hands,” said Simbirtsev, president of the Kirov Institute, a post-graduate medical college in Leningrad. He is one of 50 Soviet specialists in alcohol and drug addictions learning about recovery programs in 11 U.S. cities.

Simbirtsev said more than 5 million registered alcoholics receive medical treatment in the Soviet Union, and up to three or four times that many need treatment. (In 1987 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated that 18 million Americans have alcohol-related problems and 10.6 million of those people are alcoholics.) Soviet government statistics indicate drunkenness is a major factor in 80% of violent crimes, 40% of divorces, 30% of traffic accidents and 25% of industrial accidents.

But until recently, alcoholism went untreated in the Soviet Union. “These problems were suppressed by the officials,” said Simbirtsev.

“We need more dorms like this, more social model programs,” he continued as he and Meyroyan, a psychologist and Kirov Institute senior instructor, toured the Voice of America Alcohol Services unit at the Weingart Center, a Skid Row shelter. Meyroyan is credited with bringing Alcoholics Anonymous to the Soviet Union two years ago, shortly after his first book, “Women in Alcoholism,” was published. There are a handful of AA chapters in the Soviet Union.

Simbirtsev, who visited the United States last year on the first of his fact-finding missions, said an intensive campaign against alcohol abuse--among the most controversial of President Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms--was begun in the Soviet Union five years ago.

But the government’s strategy to help curb the country’s drinking problem--cutting alcohol production by more than 40%, limiting liquor sales to afternoon hours and raising the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 as well as doubling the price of a half-liter of vodka --”has not done enough in the areas of rehabilitation and education,” Simbirtsev said.

Instead, he said, the government-enforced crackdowns, some of which have been relaxed since the anti-alcohol campaign started, “led to moonshining and an increase in other drug abuse.”

The Soviet specialists, who last year began a joint-exchange program with the Volunteers of America, a nonprofit human services agency, will return to Leningrad on Wednesday. In May, several VOA personnel will travel to Leningrad.

Meyroyan said his visit to other VOA recovery programs in U.S. cities last year resulted in the creation of a “healthy lifestyle” department and “narcology” department (where alcohol and drug abuse is studied) at the Kirov Institute.

“In the Soviet Union,” Simbirtsev said, “it is not uncommon if a doctor tells a patient to ‘take a shot of cognac’ to chase away a bad mood or sick feeling. That’s the kind of problem we are dealing with.”

“Education for our doctors is so important,” he said, adding that since the Kirov started the “healthy lifestyle” department, more than 17,500 doctors have been trained to study alcohol and drug abuse, and the promotion of physical fitness as a way to alleviate family- and work-related stress.

He said the Soviet Union must recognize alcoholism as a disease, and the government must dig deeper into its pockets--which it is beginning to do--to provide treatment programs.

“We are most impressed with the openness of the people in the United States who recognize alcoholism as a disease, and that is what we must do in the Soviet Union--turn the attitude of public opinion around.”