Alcohol-related Violence

The major concern across the world today is the excessive consumption of alcohol by people of different age groups and causing violent activities on the streets, restaurants or pubs after being intoxicated. The issue is becoming more acute day by day. In the recent era, the variety of alcohols is easily available in abundance at the alcohol shops, restaurants and bars, clubs etc.

Running head: Public Health Management
Alcohol-related Violence

Public Health Management 1
Introduction:
The major concern across the world today is the excessive consumption of alcohol by people
of different age groups and causing violent activities on the streets, restaurants or pubs after
being intoxicated. The issue is becoming more acute day by day. In the recent era, the variety
of alcohols is easily available in abundance at the alcohol shops, restaurants and bars, clubs
etc. (Kypri, Jones, McElduff, & Barker,2011) There are various reasons why people consume heavy quantities
of alcohol. Some of them consume it merely to have fun while others consume it to kill their
anxieties, stress and inhibition. It is nowadays commonly encountered that after heavy
intoxication people lose their conscious and gets into the most harsh and unethical activities1.
Alcohol is perceived as the key catalyst for several violent incidents that are occurring each
new day. This requires the introduction of stringent governmental policies for the
unrestrained usage of alcohol by people of every nation.
Yes, it is true that the issue of heavy consumption of alcohol and its related general public
assaults is getting more serious rapidly. The excessive usage of alcohol does not only affect
health of the consumers but also cause harm to the people who are around them. It leads to
serious incidents like substantial deaths, personal and environmental injuries and other health
problems ( Coid, Ullrich, Keers, Bebbington, DeStavola, Kallis, Yang, Reiss, Jenkins, & Donnelly, 2013). In 2004, it has been
reported by Global Burden of Disease project that there are around 248000 death cases
identified across the world which resulted from severe violence caused by alcohol consumers
(Dvorak, Sargent, Kilwein, Stevenson, Kuvaas, & Williams, 2014). There are various ways in which alcohol harm the
body of its consumers. It interferes in the communication pathways of the brain system of the
human body and making it work in an unusual and insensible manner (Livingston, 2008).Drugs or
alcohols cause severe disruptions to the brain system which changes their behaviour and
mood. After having strong boozing sessions, it gets difficult for the people to think clearly
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and therefore they behave unconsciously and irrationally (Hiller-Sturmhöfel, Swartzwelder, 2004). Also, the
immune system of the people who intakes alcohol on the frequent (generally daily) basis gets
extremely weak that they cannot even handle themselves in the state of intoxication.
Therefore, they start losing their mental and physical balance of their bodies as soon as they
take the drinks inside their body (Zakhari, 2006). As a precise effect of heavy dosage of alcohol use
by the people, it is often realised that drinking assists them to generate a typical sense of
‘’locura’’ which means madness attacks, making them perform violent acts wherever they
stand in that boozed up state. Once drunk, the people really do not care as to who there are,
where they are, how they are behaving, who they stand in front of since they lose their senses.
The violent confrontations of the intoxicated people with the normal person often turns into
serious incidents and crimes such as murders, rapes, severe fights. Also, when a person loses
his conscious state of mind he is more vulnerable to attacks from other people with the ill
intensions such as robbery, sexual assaults etc. The major reason that provokes and
influences the persons to consume drugs and alcohols is their socioeconomic status. The
researches in the related areas have found that people with high socioeconomic position
consumes greater quantities of alcohols than the people who have lower socioeconomic
status. The use of alcohol is further complicated with several other moderating factors like
race, gender or ethnicity. The reports issued by the World Health Organisation in 2014, it has
been revealed that approximately 5.9% deaths worldwide are caused due to the consumption
of alcohol (Hawkins, Catalano, Miller, 1992). The people who are under the arrest of heavy drugs
intoxication are more likely to react to the situations around them in less time as they are not
able to think properly as to what is correct and therefore they enter into interpersonal
violence. There exist a complex set of factors that influences the person’s alcohol
consumption pattern such as their income level, economic status, education level, status of
their employment, neighbourhood and the housing status. The income level of the person has

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significant influence over his drinking patterns (Boys, Marsden, &Strang, 2001). The people who belong to
higher societies believe consuming expensive alcohols is part of a glamorous and lavish life
and hence they generally consume alcohols in heavy quantity as a part of their daily routine.
Further, the people who belong to lower income groups or people below poverty line assume
alcohol as a means of releasing their tensions and stress. Once intoxicated, they lose the
consciousness of the mind and starts behaving in the most un-casual manner. As a result of
which they become victim of serious incidents like road accidents and robberies.
In response to the stammering number of alcohol causing violence cases, an integrated drugs
and addictions strategy has been formulated to address the present programs and anticipated
needs of the community in context of complex problem of excessive use of alcohols and
drugs. This strategy has included the community leaders and other experts for the
development and implementation of this drug strategy. It is the holistic strategy that takes
into account the needs of persons of all the age groups. The objectives of the Ottawa’s
Integrated Drugs Strategy are the reductions in the demand and supply of illegal drugs. It also
seeks to ensure that the other residents of the community where people consumes large
quantities of drugs and alcohol, does not get harmed by the behaviours and acts of alcohol
consumers. Further, it aims the reduction of harm or damage associated with the usage of
alcohol and illegal drugs to the individuals, families and the community across entire Ottawa
for all the age groups. The strategy also contributes to the healthier and safer community
through integrated treatment and enforcement programs. The effective coordination and
integration of the alcohol and drug policies and programs is undertaken through the
implementation and execution of this strategy. Also, it promotes creation of suitable
environments that supports the health and relicense of the individuals and the community of
Ottawa.

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The integrated drugs policy is based on the four pillar model. The four pillars that are
suggested by this strategy are Prevention, Treatment, Enforcement and Harm reduction. The
first pillar ‘treatment’ is defined as the range of interventions which demands the improved
physical and psychological health of individuals who depends on these drugs and alcohols.
The pillar ‘enforcement’ seeks the strengthening the well-being of community concerns that
are related to the use of legitimate or illicit drug substances (Lang, & Rumbold, 1997). Third pillar ‘harm
reduction’ is the philosophy that enables the integration of various practical strategies that
aims to reduce the harm caused by the alcohol and drugs consumptions (Cooper, 1994).
The imposers and formulators of alcohol policy aim at reduction of consumption of drugs and
alcohol. However, these measures adopted by the alcohol policy levers will affect the level of
violence to an extent that depends upon the connection between the alcohol consumption
level and the violence. There are various evidences that proves that community based
strategies could reduce the assaults caused by the alcohol consumption. It also proves that
there does not exists only a single approach to prevent and deal with the alcohol related
violence rather there are a group of strategies and policies that will prevent the occurrence of
these incidences. Following are the strategies that will help overcoming the severe concern of
alcohol related violence:
Rules for the licensed operators:
The codes of practices have been introduced for the licensees endorsed by the project
stakeholders. These codes sets the rules and laws regarding the issues of serving intoxicated
substances, alcohol promotions such as ‘happy hours’ and the pub-hopping where such
concerns are not dealt in relevant liquor licensing regulations and frameworks.
Provision of adequate amount of education:

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Besides the compulsory requirements to serve responsible services for the alcohol training to
the concerned licensees, the employees and security staff of the bars and pubs. Additional
training can also be provided to these personnel to cope up with the standards. The operators
of licensed premises could also be provided training on the issues concerning the risk of
violence related to alcohol consumption. Further training must be provided to the crowd
controllers to deal with the intoxicated or aggressive patterns.
Arrangements of awareness campaigns:
These campaigns must be arranged for the patrons and the community to which they belong
to create awareness about the adverse impact of excessive usage of alcohols and drugs and
the strategies that minimises the harm from such consumption.
Enforcement of liquor licensing legislation:
The liquor licensing legislation must be enforced by the policy developers and other
regulatory authorities especially in the areas which are commonly recognised as the hot spots
for the alcohol related violence.
Other promising approaches which could be provided as a part of the strategy to deal with the
issues of alcohol related issues in the entertainment precincts:
Provision of transportation facilitate to the intoxicated individuals so as to prevent them from
congregating in the premises that are licensed.
Delaying the age for alcohol initiation will be the prime strategy to reduce the harm from
alcohol related violence since with the increase in alcohol initiation age the risk of occurrence
of violence will automatically reduce (Carrington, Hogg, & Scott, 2016).

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Prevention of alcohol usage among the youth groups will also reduce the major proportion of
risk of alcohol related issues as most of the alcohols and drugs are majorly consumed by
these youth groups.
To restrict the youth from consuming the alcohols, joint efforts of the entire community such
as health care places, schools, licensed premises where alcohol is consumed etc. will be
required.
Further, alcohols usage prevention programs must be run before the beginning of the alcohol
consumption and during the transition period of life of the children. Children must also be
provided proper awareness sessions in the schools to avoid the use of such substances that are
extremely dangerous and harmful for their health. Incorporation of extra-curricular activities
must be made a part of the academic structure of the schools so as to divert the tendencies of
youth group from the consumption of alcohol (Hull, 1981). Also, the academic structure must
cover the topics and lessons that create the awareness and knowledge of the ill effects of
drugs or other intoxicated substances (Bonomo, Bowes, Coffey, Carlin, & Patton, 2016).
Also, the policy regulators must design such regulatory frameworks in regards to the alcohol
consumption that imposes heavy penalties, fines and other legal implications such as
imprisonment for the individuals that undertakes excessive consumption of alcohols and
misbehaves with the innocent people in the community and who undertakes driving while
drunk.
Conclusion:
From the above report, it has been observed that consumption of alcohol is not only harmful
to the individuals who intakes such intoxicated substances but also to the person of
community to which they belong. Therefore, it is quite necessary to formulate the alcohol

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policies that not only prevents the violence related caused by alcohol consumption but also
that prevents the consumption of alcohol and other illegal substances that affects the health of
the individuals to the worst extent. The formulated policies in this context are functioning
well but still the incidences of alcohol related violence have not stopped stammering the
policy makers as the percentage of death cases due to such violence has not reduced to the
acceptable level. In the current period of 21st century the consumption of alcohol is quite
difficult to stop completely among the youth generations but it can be controlled to a
desirable extent if more integrated strategies are formulated in this area.
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