Preventing alcohol-related violence: a public health approach

Abstract

Background: Studies of the relationship between alcohol and violent injury confirm that while there is some evidence of a direct pharmacological association, many other factors are relevant to the frequency and severity of both violent perpetration and being a victim of violence. It is now widely recognized that official police statistics are a poor indicator of the nature and extent of public violence.

Aims: Accident and emergency departments and trauma surgeons are not only in a position to provide more accurate information on the nature and extent of clinically significant injury, but they can contribute substantially to violence prevention. This can be achieved through individually targeted interventions in conjunction with other clinicians on the one hand, and on the other through public health and community initiatives, in conjunction with other community agencies, including the police and local authorities. This article describes some of those initiatives and the evidence underpinning them.