Aims. To present epidemiological measures of associations between viol
ence-related injuries (assaults and fights), alcohol consumption prior
to the event, and drinking patterns among males attending hospital em
ergency rooms (ERs) in Mexico City. Design. All patients were intervie
wed and breath tested for alcohol consumption. The data were analyzed
using a case-control design. Setting. Eight ERs in Mexico City that we
re representative of the types of emergency care systems available in
that city (from public, private and social security systems hospitals)
. Participants. Cases were males patients (n = 445) admitted to the ER
because of a fight or an assault. The control group was comprised of
patients (n = 320) admitted to the ER because of accidents that are le
ss frequently reported as alcohol-related (i.e. work-place accidents,
animal bites or recreational accidents excluding near drowning). Measu
rements. A breath Sample to estimate BAG, as well as an interviewer-ad
ministered questionnaire were used. Findings. Alcohol consumption prio
r to injury was found to be a more important risk factor than usual dr
inking for injuries resulting from violence, while quantity of usual a
lcohol consumption was more predictive of violence-related injuries th
an frequency of drinking. Conclusions. These data suggest the importan
ce of using more appropriate control groups when estimating associatio
ns of alcohol and violence-related injuries so that associations will
not be underestimated. More research is needed to establish unbiased e
stimates of alcohol-related violence.