Alcohol as a risk factor for injuries or death due to fires and burns: review of the literature.

The findings in 32 studies on alcohol and injuries and deaths attributed to fires and burns were analyzed in detail. The studies, all in English, were published between 1947 and 1986. Most of them were descriptive and reported on the percent of the victims who were exposed to alcohol. Eight of the nine best descriptive studies indicated that alcohol exposure was more likely among those who died in fires ignited by cigarettes than those attributable to other causes. It can be concluded that there is substantial, although not definitive, evidence that alcohol plays a role in the etiology of fire and burn injuries and deaths.