Violent crime: the role of alcohol and new approaches to the prevention of injury

Abstract

Almost all evidence of a link between alcohol consumption and violence is available only in the form of aggregate data. This is unsatisfactory and case-control investigations and studies which relate injury severity to blood alcohol levels are needed. In the few closely controlled studies which have been performed, increased risk of injury in assault has been linked with binge consumption of more than about 8 units, and above average weekly consumption only in those over 25 years. Raising the minimum purchasing age for alcohol to 21 years, learning to drink responsibly with parents, especially fathers, and the adoption of tempered glassware are all achievable objectives which would reduce alcohol-related injury. The use of sobriety-checkpoints (breath testing though not by the police) and other situational prevention programmes need to be evaluated in relation to reducing injury sustained in violent crime. Proactive, community policing has been shown to reduce levels of alcohol-related violent crime, in contrast to more reactive, defensive and confrontational policing. The concept of 'capable guardianship' to establish and maintain social control of young delinquents needs to be extended, particularly near known foci of violence such as bars and adjacent fast-food outlets and taxi-ranks.