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Drug Use And Crime Essay

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In today’s society, drug use and drug-related crime have become a growing concern for law enforcement because the prevalence of drug use is increasing. For instance, it is estimated that 246 million people between the ages of 15 and 64 use illegal drugs (Sarker & Faller, 2016, p. 93). According to the U.S Department of Justice, drugs are correlated to crimes in multiple ways (Craddock, Collins & Timrots, 1994, p. 1). Drug use can result in crime directly through production, possession, and distribution or it can be related to crime through the effect it has on behavior (Craddock, Collins & Timrots, 1994, p. 1). When an individual becomes addicted to an illegal substance, the addiction itself can become a motive for criminal behavior. Once dependent …show more content…

As a result, several theories have been developed in order to describe the relationship between drug use and crime. In addition, social, trauma, and parental factors have been investigated in order to highlight potential catalysts for drug use and crime. Finally, the growing concern of drugs and crime has led to changes in drug policies and the evaluation of current policies. The role of law enforcement has been re-established and recommendations for effective polices and the implementation of these policies have been under discussion. The relationship between drug use and crime is a dynamic and complex process. As a result, multiple theories concerning the relationship have been developed. According to Goldstein (1985), there are three possible drug-violence relationships that need to be investigated in order to explain the relationship between drug use and crime (p. 835). Goldstein proposes that the psychopharmacological model is the first explanation for drug-related crime (p. 494). According to this model, when drugs are consumed the central nervous system of the individual is altered (Brunelle, Brochu & Cousineau, 2000, p. 837). Due to these modifications, violent

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