Is the Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Violence Relative to the Level of Consumption?

Abstract

It has been well demonstrated that alcohol consumption is associated with violent incidents, both at the individual and the aggregate level. In Norway total alcohol consumption has increased by approximately 30% over the past 10 years, and among young people consumption has increased by more than 60%. One might therefore assume that the level of violence, and particularly the level of alcohol‐related violence, has increased substantially over the same period. On the other hand, it is also possible that with increasing consumption among young people, high levels of alcohol intake and alcohol intoxication to a lesser extent are deviant behaviours, and therefore to a lesser extent associated with various problem behaviours. In the latter case, we would assume that the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of violent behaviours would diminish when alcohol consumption and alcohol intoxication become more common and wide‐spread. This hypothesis was tested by analysing data from annual surveys among 15–20‐year‐olds in Norway for the period 1990–2004. The results suggested that the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of alcohol‐related violence became significantly weaker in the later part of the period when alcohol consumption was significantly higher, thereby implying that the impact of alcohol on violence may be relative to the ‘wetness’ of the society.