THE INADEQUATE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE RELATION BETWEEN ALCOHOL ABUSE AND CRIME MEANS THAT ESTIMATES OF THE ECONOMIC COST OF CRIME ATTRIBUTABLE TO ALCOHOL ABUSE WILL BE AT BEST TENTATIVE. A STUDY UNDERTAKEN IN 1965 AND PUBLISHED IN 1967 BY THE PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE YIELDED ESTIMATED COSTS OF $815 MILLION FOR VIOLENT CRIME (WILLFUL HOMICIDE, FORCIBLE RAPE, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, ROBBERY, AND UNREPORTED VIOLENT ACTS) AND $878 MILLION FOR PROPERTY CRIMES (VANDALISM, ROBBERY, BURGLARY, LARCENY OVER $50, EMBEZZLEMENT, AUTOMOBILE THEFT, AND FORGERY). IT IS CONSERVATIVELY ESTIMATED THAT THE ECONOMIC COST OF CRIME IN 1975 WAS $3.2 BILLION. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE APPROACHED THE PROBLEM OF ALCOHOL AND CRIME BY EXAMINING VARIOUS SOCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIVIDUALS. THERE APPEARS TO BE A RELATIONSHIP AMONG ALCOHOL INGESTION, SOCIAL CLASS, AND TYPE OF VIOLENT ACTIVITY. IN ADDITION, THERE IS INCREASING CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE LINKING ALCOHOL TO CERTAIN VIOLENT CRIMES SUCH AS HOMICIDE, ROBBERY, FORCIBLE RAPE, SEXUAL MOLESTING OF CHILDREN, AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT. ESTIMATES OF THE ECONOMIC COST OF CRIME WHERE ALCOHOL ABUSE IS ASSOCIATED WITH CRIME ARE AS FOLLOWS: HOMICIDE, $2,071 MILLION; FORCIBLE RAPE, $2.2 MILLION, AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, $24 MILLION. SUPPORTING DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)