Alcohol and Crime

Alcohol and in particular the connection between alcohol and violence is a high priority for SAPOL.

SAPOL has commissioned a report relating to alcohol-fuelled disorder in South Australia, particularly within the Adelaide CBD.

This report uses data from a range of sources including SAPOL, SA Ambulance Service, the Royal Adelaide Hospital Emergency Department and the Adelaide City Council to develop a picture of alcohol-related harms in the CBD. The report also examines the international literature in this area to determine how these alcohol-related harms might be addressed.

Download the document here.

Further information on this topic is available at the following links:

• "Opinion Piece on Alcohol", Hugh MacKay, Sydney Morning Herald April 2010
•  "The avoidable costs of alcohol abuse in Australia and the potential benefits of effective policies to reduce the social costs of alcohol", Collins & Lapsley 2008
• South Australian liquor licensing laws

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a link between alcohol misuse and offending?

There is an overwhelmingly strong link between alcohol misuse and offending, especially in the Adelaide CBD where, over recent years, there has been an increase in the number of licensed premises, and an increase in the trading hours of some premises in the CBD.

SAPOL data indicates that in 2008-09 in the Adelaide CBD, 58% of victim-reported crime was alcohol-related. Also in that period, of all apprehensions by police in the CBD:

• 62% of offences against the person were alcohol-related
• 65% of serious assaults were alcohol-related
• 65% of minor assaults were alcohol-related
• 81% of incidents of assault police were alcohol-related
• 53% of non-arson property damage were alcohol-related
• 76% of disorderly or offensive behaviour were alcohol-related
• 77% of hindering police/resisting arrest were alcohol-related

It has been estimated that in Australia in 2004, alcohol-attributable crime costs amounted to $1.73 billion which included the costs of: policing ($747 million); loss of productivity of prisoners ($368 million); violence ($187 million); and prisons ($141 million). Other crime-related costs include: criminal courts $85.8 million; property $67.1 million; and insurance administration $14.3 million (Collins & Lapsley 2008).

Is there a link between alcohol use and road crashes?

There are strong links between the misuse of alcohol and road crashes. The Australian Transport Council (2007) reported that in Australia:

• More than 20% of drivers and riders killed had a blood alcohol level which exceeded the legal limit.
• Approximately 1 in 300 drivers tested at random breath testing stations exceed the legal alcohol limit.
• Casualty crash risk doubles when driving with an alcohol level just in excess of 0.05 %.
• A high proportion of repeat drink drivers have clinical alcohol dependence problems.

In a study of attendees at the Royal Adelaide Hospital Trauma Service during 2007, it was found that motor vehicle crashes were the most common cause of injury and 22.6% of injured drivers tested positive to alcohol.

Drink Driving

SAPOL crash data for 2009 shows that:

• 35% of people who died had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05% or higher; most had BACs three times the legal limit.
• 7% of drivers aged between 16 - 25 years who died had a BAC of 0.05% or higher.
• Every 0.05% increase (BAC) above zero doubles the risk of crashing.