Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, excessive drinking increased by 21% and alcohol-related deaths increased approximately 25%.6 At the same time, gun sales increased by 40%, gun homicides by 35%, and gun suicides had the largest one-year increase ever recorded.
These alarming trends urge us to think about alcohol misuse as a risk factor for gun violence. To better understand this connection, the Consortium, in partnership with the Center for Gun Violence Solutions, developed this report to highlight the available research to inform policy. As detailed in this report, alcohol misuse is associated with a risk of dangerous firearm behaviors, interpersonal firearm violence, and gun suicide. Although data about how this dangerous intersection affects different communities is limited, people of color are disproportionately affected by both gun violence and alcohol misuse.
[...]
The comprehensive approach of this report highlights the often-unexplored link between alcohol and gun violence. It is intended to become an essential resource for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, law enforcement professionals, and others working to reduce gun violence.
This abstract has been adapted from the report's introduction.
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
2023
Publication Information
Report, The Consortium for Risk-Based Firearm Policy and the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2023)
Repository Citation
Villarreal, Silvia; Bornhorst, Amy; Bonnie, Richard; Chavis, Kami; Davis, Ari; Frattaroli, Shannon; Roskam, Kelly; Swanson, Jeffrey; and Horwitz, Joshua, "Alcohol Misuse and Gun Violence: An Evidence-Based Approach for State Policy" (2023). Faculty Publications. 2155.
https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs/2155