Alcohol consumption among victims of violence and among comparable U.K. populations

Controlled investigations of alcohol consumption in victims of assault are lacking. A prospective survey was performed to compare victims' drinking habits with age and sex matched U.K. populations. All 539 adult victims of assault who attended an inner-city Accident and Emergency (A and E) Department in 1986 were interviewed. Seventy-four per cent of male victims and 42% of female victims reported alcohol consumption in the 6 hours prior to assault: 30% of males and 4% of females had consumed greater than 10 units. Forty per cent males and 25% of females exceeded established safe-levels of consumption while 16% of males and 26% of females demonstrated abnormally high gamma-GT levels. Mean expenditure on alcohol by assault victims was 14% of net income, compared to 7.5% by the U.K. adult population overall. Results suggested that young male victims of assault may not be distinguishable from other young males on the basis of habitual or binge alcohol consumption. Assault victims over 25 years of age drank excessively compared to control populations and should be a priority group for alcohol education programmes.