New research suggests that restricting access to people who abuse alcohol could prevent firearm violence.

Researchers at the University of California-Davis reviewed existing research and public policies and decided that policies that more clearly define alcohol misuse should be developed to facilitate enforcement.

"Both acute alcohol intoxication and chronic alcohol misuse are strongly associated with risk for committing firearm violence, whether that violence is directed at others or at oneself," researcher Garen J. Wintemute said in a statement. "In any given month, an estimated 8.9 million to 11.7 million firearm owners binge drink. Both binge drinking and heavy chronic drinking are more common among firearm owners than in the general population. For men, there are as many alcohol-associated deaths from firearm violence as from motor vehicle crashes."

For the study, researchers said several studies have linked aggressive firearm behaviors and alcohol misuse. These include a nationally-representative study in which people who reported threatening others with a firearm were more likely than others to meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence, and another that found people who misused alcohol were substantially more likely than others to exhibit a combination of angry behavior and either carry firearms outside the home or have firearms at home.

Researchers found that many other studies have linked suicide by firearm and alcohol intoxication. This includes a 2011 study that found the excessive consumption of alcohol was associated with an 86-fold increase in the risk of firearm suicide or near-suicide.

The findings are detailed in the peer-reviewed journal Preventive Medicine.