Interventions like alcohol taxation and minimum unit pricing, implemented in countries such as Scotland, have proven effective in reducing alcohol consumption and related deaths, particularly from liver disease19,20. The World Health Organization’s “best buys” for alcohol policy, including taxation and availability restrictions, have also reduced alcohol-related harm in countries like the Baltic states, further supporting the effectiveness of these measures21. In contrast, lower-SDI regions, especially low and low-middle SDI countries, saw a slower decline or stagnation in rates.

6 Despite these efforts, many preventable deaths occur each year as a direct result of impaired driving. One effective way to deliver education and awareness is through targeted campaigns that highlight the consequences of alcohol-related crimes. Schools, community centers, and public health organizations often host workshops, seminars, and informational sessions to educate the public about responsible drinking practices and the legal implications of alcohol-related offenses. By identifying these trends and patterns, authorities can implement targeted strategies such as increased patrols, public awareness campaigns, and community outreach programs to address the root causes of alcohol-related crimes and reduce their occurrence. Delving into the statistical data surrounding alcohol-related crimes sheds light on the nuanced aspects of these offenses, aiding in the development of preventive measures and effective interventions to address the multifaceted challenges posed by alcohol misuse in our communities.

Nature of alcohol-related violence

By utilizing data-driven insights, communities can work towards creating a safer and more responsible environment regarding alcohol consumption and related behaviors. Miller and colleagues 40 evaluate several community-level interventions directed toward reducing night-life-related violence introduced over a two-year period in the city of Geelong, Australia. Their time series analyses of emergency department admissions indicate that none of the interventions was able to counteract a state-wide increase in alcohol-related presentations at emergency departments during the period. Their study underscores the importance of basing interventions on a clearly-articulated rationale that links components of the intervention to specific outcomes 41. For example, one of the interventions was a media campaign, despite fairly consistent research suggesting that educational interventions are unlikely to be effective 31. Associations between alcohol establishment density and violent crime (estimates and 95% credible intervals).

Driving Under the Influence (DUI), also known as Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) in some jurisdictions, is a serious offense that involves operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs. DUI is a leading cause of traffic accidents and fatalities, posing a significant risk to both the driver and other road users. To combat this dangerous behavior, law enforcement agencies implement strict penalties and enforcement measures to deter individuals from driving under the influence. First, although the GBD database is comprehensive, it may underreport AC in lower-SDI regions due to data gaps and inconsistencies. Second, the Nordpred model used for future projections assumes that historical trends will continue, potentially overlooking unforeseen changes in alcohol policies or healthcare access.

of Americans Would Be Uncomfortable With Provider Relying on AI in Their Own Health Care

The estimated percent increase in crime was lower for violent crime combined (3.4%), although the relationship with this outcome and total alcohol establishment density was still statistically significant. Based on this theory, we would expect that both an increase in on-premise and off-premise establishments will lead to an increase in consumption and related violence because both would represent an increase in alcohol availability. Although there may be differential effects by on-premise and off-premise density, only about half of the previous studies assessed effects of on-premise versus off-premise establishments separately and these have found inconsistent results.

Violent incidents were more often alcohol-related in incidents involving male victims, where 62% of incidents were alcohol related, than those involving female victims, where 38% of incidents were alcohol-related. While it is not possible to infer a causal relationship between alcohol consumption, leisure and lifestyle choices, and being a victim of alcohol-related violence, those who drank alcohol or visited pubs and bars regularly were more likely to be victims. Understanding the different types of alcohol-related crimes provides insight into the diverse challenges posed by alcohol misuse and abuse. By addressing DUI, public intoxication, and underage drinking violations through education, enforcement, and intervention strategies, communities can work towards reducing the prevalence of these offenses and promoting safer environments for all individuals. Examining the statistics on alcohol-related crimes reveals important trends and patterns that can help in understanding the dynamics of such offenses. Some common trends that emerge from the data include seasonal variations in DUI incidents, spikes in public intoxication cases during certain events or holidays, and an increase in underage drinking violations in specific areas.

How we process data at Our World in Data

These trends underscore notable disparities and illustrate how different substances dominate in different geographic regions and age brackets. This is important because it highlights an ongoing public safety challenge that goes beyond simply “breaking the law” on drugs. Many individuals who misuse substances also engage in other criminal activities to support their habits or while impaired. Understanding how substance abuse influences crime rates and how intervention efforts reduce recidivism can help policymakers address underlying causes rather than relying solely on punitive measures.

The CSEW asks victims how serious, on a scale of 1 to 20; they perceived the incident (with ‘1’ being a very minor crime, to ‘20’ being the most serious crime). The mean score given for alcohol-related violent incidents was 6.7, significantly lower than non alcohol-related violent incidents, where the mean score was 7.3 (Appendix Table 5.09 (1.42 Mb Excel sheet)). The proportion of victims in violent incidents who either sustained physical injury or received medical attention were similar regardless of whether the incident was alcohol-related, however, victims in alcohol-related incidents tended to experience more severe injuries.

Because the study was conducted in only one metropolitan area and at the neighborhood level, generalizability of study findings may be limited. Finally, we did not control for potential edge effects of alcohol establishments located in other communities near the Minneapolis border; however, this is likely not a significant limitation because of a limited number of alcohol establishments near Minneapolis borders. In addition to assessing differences in associations by on-premise and off-premise density, it may also be important to assess differences across different types of crime. If establishment density increases crime through an increase in consumption resulting from greater alcohol availability, then we should expect to see comparable associations between alcohol establishment density and all types of alcohol-related crime.

Similarly, the global ASMR is expected to decline from 1.70 per 100,000 in 2021 to 1.44 per 100,000 by 2030. The age-standardized DALYs rate is forecasted to drop from 48.98 per 100,000 in 2021 to 41.18 per 100,000 by 2030. Between 29%- 40% of reported sexual assaults are committed by alcohol-related crime statistics perpetrators found to be under the influence of alcohol.

  • An addition of establishments that appeal to primarily heavy drinking customers could lead to hot spots—in other words, establishments that contribute significantly to alcohol-related crime in the area surrounding it.
  • ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world.
  • We surveyed 5,123 U.S. adults from Feb. 24 to March 2, 2025, including 3,494 who are ages 21 and older and drink alcohol.
  • Statistics indicate Georgia has a higher rate of underage drinkers than the majority of states.
  • Alabama has the third-highest rate of under-21 deaths related to excessive alcohol use.

We checked the accuracy of the address coordinates indicating the crime locations (e.g., latitude/longitude) by geocoding a subset of the crime incidents using an address locator in ArcGIS and 2009 street/address data from the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council. Because we found that the MPD address coordinates had a high level of accuracy (each coordinate was within 36 yards) we used these coordinates to assign crime incidents to the appropriate neighborhood when available. If a reported crime did not include coordinate information, we geocoded the address using the ArcGIS address locator. If an address for a crime fell outside the boundaries of Minneapolis, it was deleted from our final dataset.

Aggravated Assault

Similar to other studies, we observed a positive association between total establishment and on-premise density and multiple violent-crime outcomes. This study builds on previous studies by including several violent crime outcomes, assessing on-versus on-premise and total establishment density, controlling for geospatial autocorrelation, and using advanced Bayesian analytical methods. Results of this study, combined with earlier findings, provide more evidence that community leaders should be cautious about increasing the density of alcohol establishments within their neighborhoods. Our analysis of global trends in AC among women from 1992 to 2021 reveals significant variability in disease burden across regions and SDI groups.

Source: Office for National Statistics, Crime Survey for England and Wales

Another limitation of this study is that the police report data only included incidents of crime that were reported to police and only the primary offenses were included in the database. Both of these limitations could lead to an underestimation of crime across neighborhoods; however, it is unlikely that these underestimations differ substantially across neighborhoods. Additionally, not all of the crime incidents involved alcohol; inclusion of crime incidents that are not alcohol involved may reduce the observed association between crime and alcohol establishment density.

Neighborhood demographics

These regions remain disproportionately affected, with consistently higher DALYs (90–110 per 100,000), ASIR (3–4 per 100,000), and ASMR (around 3–4 per 100,000). These findings highlight the persistent challenges in managing AC in low-SDI regions, where limited healthcare infrastructure and insufficient public health interventions perpetuate the disease burden. Along with assessing differential associations by on-premise and off-premise density and including multiple types of violent crime, this study also builds upon and expands the current research literature in several other ways.

Alcohol-related deaths by age

Abbey 27 evaluates explanations for the substantial co-occurrence of alcohol consumption and sexual assault perpetration by examining the convergence of findings from different research approaches to the topic. She links survey studies of self-reported sexual assault perpetration with experimental research on alcohol’s role in aggression generally and the effects of alcohol on hypothetical decision-making related to sexual assault perpetration. Her review indicates that experimental research on alcohol’s effects on hypothetical willingness to commit sexual assault is consistent with a contributing role of alcohol that is modified by the individual’s attitudes and personality.