Alcohol-related Crime Research Articles

Inferring the intervention effect of local alcohol licensing policies on hospital admission and violent crime: a natural experiment with Bayesian synthetic controls

BackgroundControl of alcohol licensing at local government level is a key component of alcohol policy in England. There is, however, inconsistent and weak evidence of public health impact while inevitably there is variation in local delivery. We designed a natural experiment and used Bayesian structural time-series to estimate the impact of new local alcohol licensing policies on population health and crime. MethodsHome Office licensing data (2007–12) were used to identify exposed areas (local areas where both a cumulative impact zone [CIZ] and increased licensing enforcement intensity, defined as refusal of new licensing applications, were introduced in 2009 and 2010), and unexposed areas (without evidence of CIZ or refusal of alcohol licences), chosen to maximise contrast. Outcomes were publicly available data from Public Health England on alcohol-related directly age-standardised hospital admissions and from the Office of National Statistics on alcohol-related violent crimes during 2009–15. Bayesian structural time-series incorporating a steady state, a regression, and a seasonal component were used to create synthetic control areas from weighted (based on inclusion probabilities [non-Null effects in Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling]) time trends in unexposed areas. These described the trends in exposed areas if no exposure had occurred. Intervention effects were calculated from differences between observed 2011–15 trends and modelled trends in synthetic control areas. Posterior effects across all exposed areas were calculated with random-effects meta-analysis and expressed as point-estimates and 95% credible intervals (CI). Sensitivity analyses were conducted using randomly selected control areas from all unexposed areas. FindingsFive local exposed areas and 86 unexposed areas were identified with generally downward trends in outcomes. Compared with postintervention trends in the synthetic controls, hospital admissions and violent crimes in the exposed areas had an additional −6% (95% CI −13 to 0) and −4% (−14 to 5) reduction over 2011–15 compared with expected trends. No evidence of additional reductions was observed in unexposed areas. The findings were insensitive to choices of Bayesian priors. InterpretationModerate reductions in violent crime and modest reductions in alcohol-related hospital admissions were associated with introduction of alcohol licensing policies. An important limitation of the methodology is that the inferences made rely on the assumption that the association between the control and the intervention areas before the intervention remains similar in the postintervention period. Nonetheless, this novel methodology is promising for use in other natural experiments in public health. FundingNational Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research.

Estimating the Effect of Potential Entry on Market Outcomes Using a Licensure Threshold

We study the effects of potential entry on market outcomes in the context of Washington state's 2012 switch from a state-run monopoly to private liquor sales. Concern about alcohol-related crime prompted regulators to institute a 10,000 square foot licensure requirement to curtail entry. This store size threshold generates plausibly exogenous variation in the number of eligible entrants in local liquor markets across the state. We find that widening the pool of potential entrants has a small effect on pricing, but a significant effect on product offerings. In particular, markets with more potential entrants see a compositional shift in product offerings towards cheaper goods. Further, we find that the size requirement changes the composition of entrant size, rather than the aggregate number of entrants.

Measurable effects of local alcohol licensing policies on population health in England

BackgroundEnglish alcohol policy is implemented at local government level, leading to variations in how it is put into practice. We evaluated whether differences in the presence or absence of cumulative...

Estimating the measurable impact of local alcohol licensing policies on population health in England using ecological longitudinal data

BackgroundAlcohol policy in England is determined at local government level, and as a result differences between local authorities in priorities around how best to reduce the effects of alcohol consumption have led to variability in local composition of alcohol control policies and interventions. An important policy area is that of regulating the physical availability of alcohol and modifying the commercial drinking environment. We evaluated whether the intensity with which local licensing policies, including specifically cumulative impact zones, were implemented and enforced has resulted in measurable differences in local population health. MethodsAlcohol and late night refreshment licensing data (2007–12) from the Home Office were linked to alcohol-related hospital admissions from the Local Alcohol Profiles for England, and to population size and area deprivation at local area level. Cumulative policy and enforcement intensity was coded as passive, medium, or high on the basis of presence of cumulative impact zones, whether any new licence applications were successfully challenged, or both. Changes in directly age-standardised rates of people admitted to hospital with alcohol-related conditions in 2009 to quarter one of 2015 were analysed with mixed-effects log-rate models adjusted for seasonality, population size, deprivation, and alcohol-related crime rate. FindingsData were obtained for all 326 lower tier local authority areas in England, of which 319 provided licensing activity data. Spatial autocorrelation in licensing policy intensity was negligible (Moran's I=0·02). An exposure-response association was observed, with an additional average decrease in alcohol-related hospital admission rates in the areas with the highest intensity policies compared with passive areas of 2% annually (95% CI −3 to −2, p=0·006). Accounting for other population changes, this equated to a modest additional 5% reduction, or about eight unique admissions per 100 000 people, in 2015 compared with what would have been expected had these areas not had active policies in place. InterpretationAlthough these analyses do not directly prove causality, they add to the available evidence about the efficacy of alcohol licensing policies specifically for England. Despite the fairly modest average effect, the intensity of alcohol licensing policies implementation and enforcement is related to measurable health gain. FundingThis work was funded by the National Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research (NIHR SPHR).

Alcohol and the Public Purse: Do Drinkers Pay Their Way?

Drinkers subsidise non-drinkers by £6.5bn each year This study estimates the direct costs of alcohol use to the government in England, including the NHS, police, criminal justice system and welfare system. Taken together, they amount to a gross cost of £3.9 billion per annum (in 2015 prices). Revenues from alcohol taxation in England amount to £10.4 billion, leaving an annual net benefit to the government of £6.5 billion. The estimated cost of alcohol-related violent crime is nearly £1 billion per annum. Other alcohol-related crimes, including drink-driving, add a further £627 million, leaving a total cost to the police and criminal justice system of £1.6 billion. The estimated cost of alcohol-related health problems is £1.9 billion. Half of this results from alcohol-related hospital admissions (£984 million). A further £530 million is due to ambulance and Accident and Emergency attendances. Welfare payments given to people who are unable to work because of mental or physical ill health problems that are attributable to alcohol consumption incur a further cost of £289 million. This study uses the most recent health, crime and drinking data to build on previous cost-of-alcohol studies. Cost-of-alcohol studies are plagued by a shortage of reliable data in several areas. This study is no exception and its estimates should be regarded as being at the top end of the plausible range. The gross cost of £3.9 billion is more likely to be an over-estimate than an under-estimate. It is important to distinguish between social and economic costs (most of which are paid by individuals and businesses) and the costs to government departments (i.e. the ‘cost to the taxpayer’). Intangible costs, internal costs and societal costs are often misrepresented as being costs to taxpayers. This is the first study to have looked at the total net cost of alcohol consumption to the government in England. Our estimates suggest that the net cost of alcohol to the state is minus £6.5 billion pounds, which is to say that drinkers subsidise non-drinkers to the order of £6.5 billion pounds a year. The government could halve all forms of alcohol duty and still receive more in tax than it spends dealing with alcohol-related problems.

Alcohol-related crime in city entertainment precincts: Public perception and experience of alcohol-related crime and support for strategies to reduce such crime.

Introduction and AimsBars, pubs and taverns in cities are often concentrated in entertainment precincts that are associated with higher rates of alcohol‐related crime. This study assessed public perception and experiences of such crime in two city entertainment precincts, and support for alcohol‐related crime reduction strategies.Design and MethodsA cross‐sectional household telephone survey in two Australian regions assessed: perception and experiences of crime; support for crime reduction strategies; and differences in such perceptions and support.ResultsSix hundred ninety‐four people completed the survey (32%). Most agreed that alcohol was a problem in their entertainment precinct (90%) with violence the most common alcohol‐related problem reported (97%). Almost all crime reduction strategies were supported by more than 50% of participants, including visitors to the entertainment precincts, with the latter being slightly less likely to support earlier closing and restrictions on premises density. Participants in one region were more likely to support earlier closing and lock‐out times. Those at‐risk of acute alcohol harm were less likely to support more restrictive policies.Discussion and ConclusionsHigh levels of community concern and support for alcohol harm‐reduction strategies, including restrictive strategies, provide policy makers with a basis for implementing evidence‐based strategies to reduce such harms in city entertainment precincts. [Tindall J, Groombridge D, Wiggers J, Gillham K, Palmer D, Clinton‐McHarg T, Lecathelinais C, Miller P. Alcohol‐related crime in city entertainment precincts: Public perception and experience of alcohol‐related crime and support for strategies to reduce such crime. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:263–272]

Whither the Aborigine

Whither the Aborigine

Public acceptability of population-level interventions to reduce alcohol consumption: A discrete choice experiment

Public acceptability influences policy action, but the most acceptable policies are not always the most effective. This discrete choice experiment provides a novel investigation of the acceptability of different interventions to reduce alcohol consumption and the effect of information on expected effectiveness, using a UK general population sample of 1202 adults. Policy options included high, medium and low intensity versions of: Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol; reducing numbers of alcohol retail outlets; and regulating alcohol advertising. Outcomes of interventions were predicted for: alcohol-related crimes; alcohol-related hospital admissions; and heavy drinkers. First, the models obtained were used to predict preferences if expected outcomes of interventions were not taken into account. In such models around half of participants or more were predicted to prefer the status quo over implementing outlet reductions or higher intensity MUP. Second, preferences were predicted when information on expected outcomes was considered, with most participants now choosing any given intervention over the status quo. Acceptability of MUP interventions increased by the greatest extent: from 43% to 63% preferring MUP of £1 to the status quo. Respondents' own drinking behaviour also influenced preferences, with around 90% of non-drinkers being predicted to choose all interventions over the status quo, and with more moderate than heavy drinkers favouring a given policy over the status quo. Importantly, the study findings suggest public acceptability of alcohol interventions is dependent on both the nature of the policy and its expected effectiveness. Policy-makers struggling to mobilise support for hitherto unpopular but promising policies should consider giving greater prominence to their expected outcomes.

Alcohol Policy Development: A Case of I. R. of Iran

The harmful use of alcohol causes an estimated 2.5 million deaths every year, of which a significant proportion occur in the young. Alcohol use is the third leading risk factor for poor health globally. In response to harmful use of alcohol, World Health Organization developed a global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol endorsed by the Sixty-third World Health Assembly in 2010. Parallel with international initiatives, and in response to epidemiological data on alcohol use disorders in the country and incidence of few cases of methanol intoxication mass epidemics, Iran Ministry of Health has formulated national policies on alcohol prevention, tackle, treatment and rehabilitation of alcohol use which were ratified in high rank national councils. Following strategic objectives were proposed in national policy document: (a) 25% decrease in alcohol burden until the end of the plan in 2017 (b) To clearly define and institutionalize the role and responsibilities of governmental and civil society organizations in stabilization and reduction of burden of alcohol use disorders (c) To increase public awareness in different age groups about etiological factors, risks and consequences of alcohol use (d) To increase utilization of treatment, harm reduction and rehabilitation services in urban and rural areas (e) To prevent/tackle use of alcoholic beverages and (f) To decrease availability and increase the costs of alcohol related crimes. A public health approach to address alcohol problem has been successfully adopted by Islamic Republic of Iran. To decrease sensitivity associated with alcohol use disorders from one hand and insufficiency of resources to develop new standalone programs on the other hand, Iranian Ministry of Health policy is to integrate alcohol programs within currently available network of drug treatment and health facilities. It is critical for responsible governmental and non-governmental organizations to implement the program in a culturally sensitive manner and to show the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of the programs during implementation phase.

College football game day stadium incidents: policy and environmental effects on alcohol-related ejections and crime

Alcohol-related crime and misconduct remain an ongoing problem at university-sponsored sporting events in the USA. Prior research has focused on the impact of alcohol on spectator behavior at sporting events, but has not linked policy and environmental factors to behavior inside venues. This study seeks to explore the connection between policy and environmental variables' impact and reported alcohol-related crime and ejection rates within college football stadiums. The analysis tested the effect of alcohol sales policy (sales allowed or prohibited), law enforcement ejection policy, temperature, time of game, whether the home team is ranked, whether the visitor team is ranked, conference game, in-state rivalry, and attendance on college football games in seven stadiums in the USA over the course of three years. Attendance, followed by alcohol sales policy and start time of game, had a direct relationship on and influenced an increase in crime. Law enforcement policy on reporting ejections, followed by temperature, attendance, conference games, and rivalry games, influenced the frequency of alcohol-related ejection reports. Thus, policy variables were significant indicators of alcohol-related law enforcement activity at college football stadiums.

The effectiveness of community action in reducing risky alcohol consumption and harm: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

The World Health Organization, governments, and communities agree that community action is likely to reduce risky alcohol consumption and harm. Despite this agreement, there is little rigorous evidence that community action is effective: of the six randomised trials of community action published to date, all were US-based and focused on young people (rather than the whole community), and their outcomes were limited to self-report or alcohol purchase attempts. The objective of this study was to conduct the first non-US randomised controlled trial (RCT) of community action to quantify the effectiveness of this approach in reducing risky alcohol consumption and harms measured using both self-report and routinely collected data. We conducted a cluster RCT comprising 20 communities in Australia that had populations of 5,000-20,000, were at least 100 km from an urban centre (population ≥ 100,000), and were not involved in another community alcohol project. Communities were pair-matched, and one member of each pair was randomly allocated to the experimental group. Thirteen interventions were implemented in the experimental communities from 2005 to 2009: community engagement; general practitioner training in alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI); feedback to key stakeholders; media campaign; workplace policies/practices training; school-based intervention; general practitioner feedback on their prescribing of alcohol medications; community pharmacy-based SBI; web-based SBI; Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services support for SBI; Good Sports program for sports clubs; identifying and targeting high-risk weekends; and hospital emergency department-based SBI. Primary outcomes based on routinely collected data were alcohol-related crime, traffic crashes, and hospital inpatient admissions. Routinely collected data for the entire study period (2001-2009) were obtained in 2010. Secondary outcomes based on pre- and post-intervention surveys (n = 2,977 and 2,255, respectively) were the following: long-term risky drinking, short-term high-risk drinking, short-term risky drinking, weekly consumption, hazardous/harmful alcohol use, and experience of alcohol harm. At the 5% level of statistical significance, there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the interventions were effective in the experimental, relative to control, communities for alcohol-related crime, traffic crashes, and hospital inpatient admissions, and for rates of risky alcohol consumption and hazardous/harmful alcohol use. Although respondents in the experimental communities reported statistically significantly lower average weekly consumption (1.90 fewer standard drinks per week, 95% CI = -3.37 to -0.43, p = 0.01) and less alcohol-related verbal abuse (odds ratio = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.35 to 0.96, p = 0.04) post-intervention, the low survey response rates (40% and 24% for the pre- and post-intervention surveys, respectively) require conservative interpretation. The main limitations of this study are as follows: (1) that the study may have been under-powered to detect differences in routinely collected data outcomes as statistically significant, and (2) the low survey response rates. This RCT provides little evidence that community action significantly reduces risky alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms, other than potential reductions in self-reported average weekly consumption and experience of alcohol-related verbal abuse. Complementary legislative action may be required to more effectively reduce alcohol harms. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12607000123448.

DEVELOPMENT OF RULES OF THE RUSSIAN PENAL LEGISLATION ON RESPONSIBILITY OF DRUNK CRIMES

The article deals with the genesis of penal legislation in Russia concerning crimes committed in a state of alcoholic intoxication in XX-XXI centuries. Based on the criminological, social and legal analyses of anti-alcohol policy the authors suggest that in the beginning of XXI century alcoholic situation in Russia is characterized by increase in the issue urgency and further expansion of alcohol-related crimes.

Relative mortality among criminals in Norway and the relation to drug and alcohol related offenses.

BackgroundRegistered offenders are known to have a higher mortality rate, but given the high proportion of offenders with drug-addiction, particularly among offenders with a custodial sentence, higher mortality is expected. While the level of overall mortality compared to the non-criminal population is of interest in itself, we also estimate the risk of death by criminal records related to substance abuse and other types of criminal acts, and separate between those who receive a prison sentence or not.MethodsAge-adjusted relative risks of death for 2000–2008 were studied in a population based dataset. Our dataset comprise the total Norwegian population of 2.9 million individuals aged 15–69 years old in 1999, of whom 10% had a criminal record in the 1992–1999 period.ResultsIndividuals with a criminal record have twice the relative risk (RR) of death of the control group (non-offenders). Males with a record of use/possession of drugs and a prison record have an 11.9 RR (females, 15.6); males with a drug record but no prison record have a 6.9 RR (females 10.5). Males imprisoned for driving under the influence of substances have a 4.4 RR (females 5.6); males with a record of driving under the influence but no prison sentence have a 3.2 RR (females 6.5). Other male offenders with a prison record have a 2.8 RR (females 3.7); other male offenders with no prison record have a 1.7 RR (females 2.3).ConclusionSignificantly higher mortality was found for people with a criminal record, also for those without any record of drug use. Mortality is much higher for those convicted of substance-related crimes: more so for drug- than for alcohol-related crimes and for women.

Does Increasing Community and Liquor Licensees’ Awareness, Police Activity, and Feedback Reduce Alcohol-Related Violent Crime? A Benefit-Cost Analysis

Approximately half of all alcohol-related crime is violent crime associated with heavy episodic drinking. Multi-component interventions are highly acceptable to communities and may be effective in reducing alcohol-related crime generally, but their impact on alcohol-related violent crime has not been examined. This study evaluated the impact and benefit-cost of a multi-component intervention (increasing community and liquor licensees’ awareness, police activity, and feedback) on crimes typically associated with alcohol-related violence. The intervention was tailored to weekends identified as historically problematic in 10 experimental communities in NSW, Australia, relative to 10 control ones. There was no effect on alcohol-related assaults and a small, but statistically significant and cost-beneficial, effect on alcohol-related sexual assaults: a 64% reduction in in the experimental relative to control communities, equivalent to five fewer alcohol-related sexual assaults, with a net social benefit estimated as AUD$3,938,218. The positive benefit-cost ratio was primarily a function of the value that communities placed on reducing alcohol-related harm: the intervention would need to be more than twice as effective for its economic benefits to be comparable to its costs. It is most likely that greater reductions in crimes associated with alcohol-related violence would be achieved by a combination of complementary legislative and community-based interventions.

Alcohol and its relationship to offence variables in a cohort of offenders with intellectual disability

Background Alcohol use and misuse may be lower in people with intellectual disability (ID) than in the general population but may be related to offending.Method Alcohol-related crime and history of alcohol use was recorded in 477 participants with ID referred to forensic ID services and related to offending.Results Level of alcohol-related crime and history of alcohol misuse was lower than in some previous studies at 5.9% and 20.8%, respectively. History of alcohol abuse was associated with alcohol-related offences and theft. Higher rates of alcohol problem history were associated with histories of a number of offences, psychiatric disturbance in adulthood, psychiatric disturbance in childhood, and experiences of childhood adversity. Most effect sizes were weak or moderate.Conclusions The convergence of childhood adversity, psychiatric problems in childhood and adulthood, and alcohol abuse is consistent with studies that have found these as risk markers for offending.

Alcohol-related crime among college students: a review of research and fruitful areas for future work

College and alcohol are a potent mix. This paper reviews what is known and unknown about college students’ involvement in alcohol-related crime as both offenders and victims. There are three types of alcohol-related crime: psychopharmacological; economic compulsive; and systemic. Research on college students, however, has focused entirely on the first type. Why are the latter two types untouched in the literature? After reviewing research on alcohol-involved psychopharmacological crime among college students, we address this question by drawing on Lewis & Lewis’ taxonomy of ‘negative evidence.’ We outline and assess reasons for the dearth of information on these topics, and draw on these explanations to suggest fruitful areas for future research.

Fear and Anger Responses to Local News Coverage of Alcohol-Related Crimes, Accidents, and Injuries: Explaining News Effects on Policy Support Using a Representative Sample of Messages and People

An experiment investigated emotional reactions to news on policy support. Stimuli were selected from a nationally representative sample of local crime/accident news, and a nationally representative online panel of U.S. adults. Stories were manipulated to mention or not mention the role of alcohol. Anger elicited by stories increased blame of individuals, whereas fear increased consideration of contributing societal factors. Mention of alcohol increased likelihood of different emotional responses dominating--greater anger when alcohol was mentioned and greater fear when not mentioned. Such emotions influence policy support: enforcement of existing laws controlling individual behavior in addition to new laws when anger predominated, and, indirectly, support for new laws changing social context in which alcohol is promoted and sold when fear predominated.

Prevention of Alcohol-Related Crime and Trauma (PACT): brief interventions in routine care pathway – a study protocol

BackgroundGlobally, alcohol-related injuries cause millions of deaths and huge economic loss each year . The incidence of facial (jawbone) fractures in the Northern Territory of Australia is second only to Greenland, due to a strong involvement of alcohol in its aetiology, and high levels of alcohol consumption. The highest incidences of alcohol-related trauma in the Territory are observed amongst patients in the Maxillofacial Surgery Unit of the Royal Darwin Hospital. Accordingly, this project aims to introduce screening and brief interventions into this unit, with the aims of changing health service provider practice, improving access to care, and improving patient outcomes.MethodsEstablishment of Project Governance: The project governance team includes a project manager, project leader, an Indigenous Reference Group (IRG) and an Expert Reference Group (ERG).Development of a best practice pathway: PACT project researchers collaborate with clinical staff to develop a best practice pathway suited to the setting of the surgical unit. The pathway provides clear guidelines for screening, assessment, intervention and referral.Implementation: The developed pathway is introduced to the unit through staff training workshops and associate resources and adapted in response to staff feedback.Evaluation: File audits, post workshop questionnaires and semi-structured interviews are administered.DiscussionThis project allows direct transfer of research findings into clinical practice and can inform future hospital-based injury prevention strategies.

SAFER BARS: REDUCING VIOLENCE IN AND AROUND LICENSED PREMISES

BackgroundThe Safer Bars programme, developed in Canada in the late 1990's, resulted in a 30% reduction in violent incidences in bars where it was trialled in Canada. The Injury Control...

Community perceptions and experiences of alcohol-related crime and safety in entertainment precincts

BackgroundLicensed premises in entertainment precincts are associated with alcohol-related harm, especially violence and anti-social behaviour.Aims/Objectives/PurposeTo determine experiences of alcohol-related crime and perceptions of safety in local entertainment precincts; and whether...