Alcohol and violence: Brazilian organized football fans

Abstract

Violence among football fans is a public safety problem in Brazil. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the debate that relates alcohol consumption and that violence. A qualitative-quantitative research was conducted where data were obtained through documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews, observations, and the AUDIT test. Two groups of ten male fans over 18 years of age participated as volunteers. Public safety statistics indicate that police occurrences decreased after the ban on alcohol sales and consumption at Brazilian stadiums. Alcohol and other - illegal - drugs are consumed more often outside stadiums by violent fans. According to the AUDIT protocol, 50% of the fans presented highrisk consumption habits and 10% presented likely dependence. Therefore, alcohol consumption can be an important trigger of violence in football and therefore deserves attention and proper public policies.