Alcohol and crime and violence have a closely interconnected relationship, with alcohol consumption being a contributing factor to crime, violence, and antisocial behaviour. Alcohol plays a key role in crimes such as public order offences, domestic violence, assault and murder, as well as rape and sexual assault.

While alcohol use is neither necessary nor sufficient for violence to occur, many studies have demonstrated significant, and positive, associations between alcohol consumption and rates of criminal violence, and we can say with confidence that more drinking tends to result in more violence, and less drinking tends to result in less violence. Indeed, laboratory studies have shown that alcohol increases aggression. For example, it increases the willingness with which individuals will administer electric shocks to others. Such research is important when analysing the nature of unprovoked, one-punch assaults, especially late at night. In this context it is important to consider Ireland’s overall high level of alcohol consumption, rising youth drinking rates and highly concerning levels of binge drinking, particularly among young men.

Availability of alcohol is one of the main determinants of alcohol use and alcohol-related harm, and the World Health Organization (WHO) identifies restrictions on availability as among the most effective and cost-effective measures to reduce that harm.  However in Ireland alcohol is very widely available with three quarters of the population living within 300m of an alcohol outlet. International and Irish evidence consistently shows that increasing trading hours and density of licensed premises leads to more alcohol-related crime, violence and public disorder, while reducing late-night trading lowers rates of violence.

Yet, addressing alcohol use remains an underutilised strategy in the violence prevention field; indeed, relatively few prevention efforts intentionally address alcohol use or draw on effective strategies from the alcohol field. This is especially true of unprovoked assaults. Therefore, this submission will set out the national and international evidence on alcohol use and violence and make a series of recommendations for the Irish context, showing how action on availability, affordability and advertising can reduce the frequency and severity of violence on our streets and in the home.

Recommendations:
1. Set a cap on the maximum density of alcohol outlets in town/city locations.
2. Reduce alcohol trading hours including off-license hours.
3. Introduce specific education programmes in schools/colleges/youth schemes/workplace/media highlighting risks around alcohol and violence.