Violent crimes

[Homicidalheathen]

U.S. Department of Justice

ADVANCE FOR RELEASE AT 4:30 P.M. EDT BJS

SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 1998 202/307-0784

FOUR IN TEN CRIMINAL OFFENDERS REPORT ALCOHOL

AS A FACTOR IN VIOLENCE

But Alcohol-Related Deaths and Consumption in Decline

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Although alcohol consumption

and alcohol-related deaths are in decline, alcohol

abuse is still linked to a large percentage of criminal

offenses, the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice

Statistics (BJS) said today.

Almost four in 10 violent crimes involve alcohol,

according to the crime victim, as do four in 10 fatal

motor vehicle accidents. And about four in 10 criminal

offenders report that they were using alcohol at the

time of their offense.

About one in five victims of alcohol-related

violence (about 500,000 victims annually) report

financial losses totaling more than $400 million. When

injured in alcohol-related violence, the average victim

experienced a $1,500 out-of-pocket medical expense.

The rate of all alcohol-induced deaths fell 19

percent between 1980 and 1994, noted the report on

alcohol and crime, citing National Center for Health

Statistics data.

"We also have seen recent declines in violence

between current and former spouses, boyfriends and

girlfriends," commented BJS Director Jan M. Chaiken.

"This is the kind of violence most likely to involve

alcohol abuse."

Two-thirds of the violent crime victims who were

attacked by an intimate--a current or former spouse or

a boyfriend or girl

friend--report that alcohol had been a factor.

Among spouse violence victims, three out of four

incidents were reported to have involved alcohol use by

the offender.

The arrest rate for driving under the influence of

alcohol has fallen by 24 percent since 1990, and during

the last decade the number of highway fatalities blamed

on alcohol has dropped by about 7,000 a year--from

24,000 such deaths in 1986 to 17,126 fatalities in

1996--a 29 percent decrease.

In 1996 local law enforcement agencies made an

estimated 1,467,300 arrests nationwide for driving

under the influence of alcohol, compared to 1.9 million

such arrests during the peak year 1983, when 33 states

had a minimum age for alcohol consumption less than 21

years old.

Subsequently, all states changed the minimum legal

drinking age to 21 years old, pursuant to federal

highway funding legislation.

In 1980 men and women younger than 21 accounted

for 10 percent of all licensed drivers, but 15 percent

of those arrested for driving under the influence. In

1996 people younger than 21 accounted for 7 percent of

the licensed drivers and 8 percent of those arrested

for driving under the influence.

An estimated 80 percent of U.S. residents 12 years

old and older have used alcohol at least once, and 50

percent describe themselves as current drinkers.

National estimates of the annual per capita consumption

of alcohol have declined 10 percent since 1990--from 40

gallons per person to 36 gallons.

The most commonly used definition of intoxication

is 0.10 grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood, known

as the blood alcohol concentration or BAC. Among state

prisoners who reported drinking at the time of the

offense for which they were incarcerated, the BAC was

estimated to be 0.28 for inmates convicted of violent

crime, 0.30 for those convicted of property crimes,

0.23 for those convicted of public order offenses and

0.19 for those convicted of drug offenses.

The study, "Alcohol and Crime, An Analysis of

National Data on the Prevalence of Alcohol Involvement

in Crime" (NCJ-168632) was prepared for the National

Symposium on Alcohol Abuse and Crime, which opened here

today. It was written by BJS statistician Lawrence A.

Greenfeld. Single copies may be obtained from the BJS

fax-on-demand system by dialing 301/519-5550, listening

to the menu, and selecting document number 102 or by

calling the BJS Clearinghouse at 1-800/732-3277. BJS's

home page address on the Internet is:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

Additional criminal justice materials can be

obtained from the Office of Justice Programs homepage

at:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov

After hours contact: Stu Smith at 301/983-9354

End of File

[Homicidalheathen]

http://alcoholism.about.com/gi/dynamic/off...abstract/ac.htm

http://alcoholism.about.com/gi/dynamic/off...abstract/ac.htm

this report is 10 yrs old

[Rev.Reverence]

I ain't gonna' read it...but I'll say, simply, "Fuckin' DUH!"

Who's so smart they came up with the idea for this study? I wanna' take them out for a drink.

[Soulrev]

Yeah isn't it fantastic? And the TERRIBLE MARIJUANA is still illegal. After all, there were about 17 marijuana related deaths last year. Better keep it banned. That stuff is satan in a bag! SATAN I SAY! EEEEEEEEVVIIIIILLLL.......

Fuckin alcohol. Ban it. BAN IT FOR GOOD! Legalize pot. Thank you.

[Homicidalheathen]

I second that...no wait...don't make anything illegal thats how gangs get their money

[Soulrev]

I second that...no wait...don't make anything illegal thats how gangs get their money

OK I can agree with this. Then in that case, alcohol related crimes need to suffer more punishment. Maybe if there were a mandatory 6 month sentence on first case DUI people would stop drinking and driving as much.

[candyman]

Oh who are you people kidding?!?! We all know that cigarettes and weed are killing millions of people that have no choice but to smoke! And every day we see hundreds of ads by the Cigarette companies and...oh, wait, that isn't right...yeah alcohol sucks.

I am to the point where I laught when a drunk driver dies...and am getting to the point where all the tires around a bar will be slashed and I will wait with a large metal bat for drunk retards walking to their cars...

DUI charges are a joke...they might as well give the retards a little grape sucker and tell them to have a nice drive instead...that would work just as well as what they are currently doing.

[Rev.Reverence]

Oh who are you people kidding?!?! We all know that cigarettes and weed are killing millions of people that have no choice but to smoke! And every day we see hundreds of ads by the Cigarette companies and...oh, wait, that isn't right...yeah alcohol sucks.

I am to the point where I laught when a drunk driver dies...and am getting to the point where all the tires around a bar will be slashed and I will wait with a large metal bat for drunk retards walking to their cars...

DUI charges are a joke...they might as well give the retards a little grape sucker and tell them to have a nice drive instead...that would work just as well as what they are currently doing.

You do not know what you are talking about...again.

[Brenda Starrr]

Quit using "retards" to describe people.

[Rev.Reverence]

Quit using "retards" to describe people.

...yeah...that too.

[Tacohitts]

Alcohol is a double edge sword

either your are a cool drinker

or an asshole drinker

alcohol has killed way more than weed ever has

some people ought to watch one of those caught on video shows when

a college sports team wins or loses,theri fans decide to riot and cause damage as well.

you never hear or see that from a bunch of weed smokers

and I would rather be around pot smokers than than a bunch of drinkers

because there is always that one asshole that will ruin it for everyone.

I have seen people walking drunk blitzed and doing stupid shit under the influence of alcohol.and just like drinking and driving

they will make you take a breath test and if you fail you are in trouble.just because its legal does not give anyone an excuse to

start shit,some people should be banned from any form of alcohol as far as I am concerned.and the idiot I"I like to be an asshole when I drink"

should get smashed in the face with a piece of re-bar.

btw weed is less dangerous than cigarettes as well.

[candyman]

You do not know what you are talking about...again.

"It is illegal in Wisconsin for a driver over the age of 21 to operate a motor vehicle:

With a Blood/Breath Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or greater;

While under the influence of an intoxicant;

With a detectable amount of a restricted controlled substance in his or her blood; or

While under the influence of a controlled substance or any other drug.

For drivers with three or more prior Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) convictions, the limit is lower: they cannot operate a motor vehicle if their BAC is greater than 0.02."

Well, in the last 4 years more than 67% of people with DWI charges already had three prior charges. 17% had four or more and the rest had 5 charges. Now, when do people start to take this seriously? The people are still allowed to drive no matter how many charges there are and any fines or various forms of community service are minimal. Honestly these people are seeing that the charges are not that harsh and so they really have no reason to fear punishment meaning that they will keep offending.

Here, I will give you something to compare it to. I have lowered my car HALF an inch and have installed low-pro tires that drop it another half inch...that is because I sometimes take my car to the track. I also have a custom stainless steel exhaust on my car that is not nearly as loud as most trucks, motorcycles, or other "ricer" vehicles...it gives me better performance, some gas mileage, and looks pretty damn good too. Now, I will not go over my other mods but besides the engine and suspension mods my car looks stock and I NEVER race it on the street. Well, because these mods are "illegal" I recieved a $3,000 fine, had to re-modify my car to install stock items which I had to purchase with my own money, and now my car is on the "watch" list for most counties in southern Wisconsin...if they catch me being "naughty" again I get a $6,000 fine, lost my car, and won't be able to drive for up to 3 years. Hell, I might as well drive piss drunk all the time in a stock Accord that I don't take care of becuase the fines will be less and I will most likely not lose my car.

So yes, the charges may be real but their enforcement is a damn joke...no way around that. And I will call drunk drivers retards considering they cannot understand me anyways, or drive well...otherwise some of my friends would still be around today. Sorry, when it comes to this crap I will not be PC.

[Tacohitts]

If I really wanted too,I would guzzle down a whole lot of beer and whiskey and take a long walk down the street

and see how many times I could get away with it,the cops could impound my sneakers I guess.

[Slogo]

Honestly, how about nobody drives on anything. Period.

I don't give a shit what drug anyone does as long as their not bothering anyone else. If someone does a bunch of coke and slams himself into another car. Prison candidate

Someone drinks a fifth of Cuervo and beats their family. Prison candidate

But if someone lights up the reefer, or eats some mushrooms or, hell, even shoots up some dope* and sits around the house all day picking their nose, I'm sorry but if nobody else is annoyed It shouldn't be a crime. Perhaps a candidate for a slap in the face, but that's about it.

Disclaimer* Slogo in no way encourages the use of heroin. I just believe that it's my life and if I want to fuck it up I can

edited to emphasize the disclaimer

Edited June 2, 2009 by Slogo

[Homicidalheathen]

If I really wanted too,I would guzzle down a whole lot of beer and whiskey and take a long walk down the street

and see how many times I could get away with it,the cops could impound my sneakers I guess.

yup. 3 people I know now got public intoxication for trying to do the RIGHT thing and if its past 10 pm and your kid is under 15 and is out seeing this shame on you. Your kid shouldn't be out...it should be adult time, no harm done.