Risk Profile: Overview

How much, where and with whom a person drinks can all affect whether or not she or he becomes the victim or perpetrator of alcohol-related crime.

It may be helpful to think of someone’s use of alcohol as being located at any one time on a continuum which stretches from ‘ Drinking Responsibly’ through ‘Binge Drinking’ to ‘Alcohol Dependency’ with various gradations in between.

Such terms as ‘drinking responsibly’ has no agreed definitions but guidelines are published by the Department of Health on the number of ‘units’ per week which constitute responsible drinking: 'Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation' (http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/
cm43/4386/4386.htm).

The Portman Group also has guidelines on sensible drinking at http://www.portman-group.org.uk/alcohol/74.asp

‘Binge Drinking’ is associated with infrequent bouts of heavy drinking which may not impact immediately on the drinkers health but exposes them to risks of crime and disorder either as victim or offender.

Alcohol dependency is associated with constant heavy drinking and can result in offences such as drunkenness and theft and in severe physical and psychological problems.

An individual’s drinking pattern will be affected by a variety of personal, social and cultural factors, which change over time.

Alcohol abuse will result in a number of risks and problems for both the user and those they are in contact with.