Preventing Violence Through Alcohol Consumption Reduction Measures

The World Health Organization has released a series of briefings on violence prevention. Of particular interest is Chapter 3: Preventing Violence by Reducing Availability and Harmful Use of Alcohol.

‘Harmful use of alcohol is a major contributor to violence’, the report suggests. It seems logical, then, that if we aim to reduce alcohol consumption and abuse, acts of violence will decrease in turn.

The report provides an overview and evaluation of initiatives that look to prevent violence by tackling alcohol consumption.

It concludes that the evidence base for such interventions is ‘promising’. However, implementation can present some difficulties.

Specifically, limiting the hours allowed for alcohol sales is associated with a reduction in violent acts.

In some cases, brief or community-level interventions have, too, lead to a decrease in violence.

Increasing the price of alcohol, the report claims, would act as an effective violence-reduction strategy.

Beyond a reduction in violence, initiatives that address alcohol consumption also have several other health and social benefits.

Yet, a significant obstacle to their successful implementation is a governmental willingness to prioritise public health matters over commercial incentives.

The report calls for greater research in low-income countries as the data is currently skewed towards those with higher average incomes. It also argues that there is a urgent need for a better public understanding of the relationship between alcohol consumption and acts of violence more generally.

Click below to read the full report.