Yes, of course there's a difference. It's just that violence has always been around. Drunk, sober, whatever, some people are just nasty. It wasn't always drunken fights I witnessed. People can get vicious about something as simple as cue jumping. Look at the amount of road rage attacks where alcohol isn't involved. People have been killed for cutting someone up. This isn't new.
My dad was attacked on his way home from the pub. No reason whatsoever, they kicked him round like a football. Nasty people have always existed.