Alcohol-fuelled assault twice as likely to happen at home as in a pub – study
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Version 0 of 1. People are almost two times more likely to fall victim to an alcohol-fuelled assault at home than in a licensed venue, according to new research. A study from the University of New England in New South Wales of more than 12,000 alcohol-related injuries treated in Queensland hospitals over 10 years found 36% took place in the home, compared with just 10% in licensed venues and 13% on the street. An injury by assault was 84% more likely to happen in the home compared with other locations, it found. Kim Usher, a professor and head of the University of New England’s school of health, said the study – the first to examine alcohol-related injuries at home – dismantled a common media narrative about the dominant role of pubs and clubs in drink-fuelled harms. That narrative has been embraced by governments in New South Wales and Queensland, where rollbacks of trading hours and venue “lockouts” have been the key policy responses to alcohol-related violence and injuries. Usher said: “The media would lead you to believe that the majority of injuries happen at licensed venues when in fact the chances of injury is much higher when you are at home. “This study shows that the home is a place of danger when drinking. It appears more people especially the young are drinking at home, because it is cheaper than going out. “We hope health policymakers are looking at strategies to address this issue, as it is becoming the drinking location of choice and increasingly the site for alcohol-related injuries.” In Queensland, cabinet minister Anthony Lynham has been a key Palaszczuk government proponent of licensed venue restrictions which began last month and sparked a backlash from critics, including live music supporters. Lynham has cited his professional background working in an emergency department as a maxillofacial surgeon operating on alcohol-related injuries as a motive for entering politics and campaigning for reforms aimed at pubs and clubs. However, the study showed that of the 3,971 alcohol-related injuries from assaults presenting to Queensland emergency departments over a decade, 29.2% (1,161) were at home, compared with 16.5% (656) in licensed venues and 13.1% (520) on the street. It found assaults made up up 32.2% of all alcohol-related injuries treated in emergency departments between 2003 and 2012, as recorded by the Queensland injury surveillance unit. There were 12,296 alcohol-related injuries over the 10 years, which represented 3.02% of all injuries treated in Queensland hospitals. Just over 500 injuries were identified as the result of domestic violence by a spouse or partner, almost 60% of these taking place at home. The study found that – despite no change in mean alcohol consumption nationally – the proportion of all injuries treated in Queensland emergency departments that involved alcohol soared by 138% over 10 years. But injuries in licensed venues fell by 77% over the 10 years. “Due to interventions such as public media campaigns, lockout laws, responsible service of alcohol requirements and restricted trading hours, it is possible fewer people are drinking at a licensed venue or, due to the above measures and/or normal closing hours, are drinking elsewhere,” the report said. Injuries at home were likely to be “more severe and complicated” than in other locations, the most common cause being a fall from a low level. The most common alcohol-related injuries overall were to the head, neck or face (35%). But the study cited the large number of injuries to an “unspecified body region” – a category including overdoses or drink-spiking – in the home (44%) compared with licensed venues (11%). “This finding indicates that despite concerted health promotion efforts in regards to the harmful effects of alcohol and excessive alcohol intake, many Australians drink at home at ‘risky’ or ‘high-risk’ levels,” it said. Almost twice as many people were injured after being struck by or colliding with a person or object at home (1,038) than in licensed venues (556). Contact with a person or object made up 26% of injuries at home but over half the injuries in licensed venues. The study, Patterns of “At Home” Alcohol-Related Injury Presentations to Emergency Departments, is to be published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing. |