NCJ Number
59577
Journal
ALCOHOL HEALTH AND RESEARCH WORLD, (WINTER 1977/78) Pages: 8-13
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
STUDIES DEALING WITH THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOMICIDE AND THE EXCESSIVE USE OF ALCOHOL ARE REVIEWED.
Abstract
MANY OF THE EARLY STUDIES OF LINKS BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND HOMICIDE CONDUCTED IN THE 1950'S ARE HANDICAPPED BY A LACK OF INFORMATION ON THE BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION (BAC) OF PERSONS INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL HOMICIDE. ONE STUDY CONDUCTED BY A POLICE CHEMIST WITH THE COLUMBUS, OHIO, POLICE DEPARTMENT, HOWEVER, MAINTAINED RECORDS OF INDIVIDUALS ARRESTED DURING THE COMISSION OF CRIME AND THEIR BAC'S. THIS SURVEY OF 882 PERSONS ARRESTED DURING OR AFTER THE COMMISSION OF A FELONY BETWEEN 1951 AND 1953 INCLUDED 30 MURDER CASES. OF THE 30 SUSPECTS ARRESTED, 25 OR 83 PERCENT HAS SOME TRACE OF ALCOHOL IN THEIR URINE AND 67 PERCENT HAD A BAC OF 0.10 PERCENT OR MORE. DATA COLLECTED IN PHILADELPHIA, PA., ABOUT DRINKING ON THE PART OF VICTIMS AND OFFENDERS BETWEEN 1948 AND 1952 INDICATED THAT 214 OR 36 PERCENT OF 588 HOMICIDES INVOLVED NO ALCOHOL. IN 54 HOMICIDES, ALCOHOL WAS PRESENT IN THE VICTIM ONLY; IN 64 CASES, ALCOHOL WAS INDICATED IN THE OFFENDER ONLY. IN 256 CASES, ALCOHOL WAS PRESENT IN BOTH VICTIM AND OFFENDER. A STUDY IN SHELBY COUNTY, TENN., SHOWED EVIDENCE OF DRINKING IN A MAJORITY OF VICTIMS AND A HIGH PROPORTION OF OFFENDERS INVOLVED IN 372 CASES OF CRIMINAL HOMICIDE OVER AN 8-YEAR PERIOD. IN ST. LOUIS, MO., A STUDY OF THE CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG ALCOHOLICS DURING A 3-YEAR PERIOD AT AN ALCOHOLISM OUTPATIENT CLINIC OF A MENTAL HEALTH CENTER SHOWED THAT, OF 45 PATIENTS WHO DIED BETWEEN 1969 AND 1972, 21 PATIENTS DIED OF VIOLENT CAUSES SUCH AS HOMICIDE, ACCIDENTAL DEATH, AND SUICIDE. ALL PATIENTS HAD A DIAGNOSIS OF ALCOHOLISM AT THE TIME OF THE INITIAL SCREENING INTERVIEW. FURTHER SUPPORT OF THE ALCOHOL-HOMICIDE LINK WAS FOUND IN A 2-YEAR STUDY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRISONERS WHO HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF SERIOUS ASSAULTIVE CRIMES AND STUDIES IN NEW YORK DEMONSTRATING THAT ALCOHOL USE IS CLOSELY RELATED TO OR DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR CRIME. FOREIGN STUDIES, RESEARCH BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM, AND FACTORS INVOLVED IN ESTABLISHING A DEFINITE CAUSAL LINK BETWEEN ALCOHOL USE AND HOMICIDE ARE EXAMINED ARE DISCUSSED. REFERENCES ARE CITED. ((DEP)