Drugs and alcohol effects on human health

Drugs and Alcohol's Influence On Crime Rates

There is a growing problem here in the United States, as well as around the world. Drug and alcohol use is skyrocketing out of control. On the one hand, many within modern society claim that it is their right to decide what they put in their own bodies and how they can behave. Yet, on the other, there is the much older view that alcohol and drugs can lead ordinary people to do unintended things that often lead to the commencement of a crime. In order to explore this issue further, this research begs the question: what is the relationship between drugs / alcohol and crime?

There is a large body of research on the topic of alcohol / drugs and how it impacts our behavior in negative ways. Within this research are studies examining the relationship between drugs / alcohol and crime? Within the United States, over 50% of crimes reported to the police were apparently involving individuals under the influence of either drugs or alcohol (Hart & Rennison 2003). Apparently, some 60% of assault cases involved some sort of illicit substance (Hart & Rennison 2003). In the context of Canada, one study found that 76.3% of inmates had used alcohol within the six months prior to being sentenced and over 50% had used alcohol within the week they were arrested (Brochu et al. 1999). Alcohol is a major contributor to crime here in the United States as well as abroad. Here, the research states that "experimental studies have shown a consistent relationship at the individual level between alcohol use and aggressive behavior, especially in the presence of social cues that would normally elicit an aggressive response; the consumption of alcohol increases the aggressiveness of this response," (Parker & Auerhahn 1998 p 294). In fact, alcohol is the most common substance in cases of domestic violence and homicide. Much research ties alcohol to increased aggression and violent behavior. According to the research, "when violent behavior is associated with a substance, that substance is overwhelmingly, alcohol," (Parker & Auerhahn 1998 p 307). Drugs are also tied to crime as well. The same study showed that 45.8% of inmates surveyed had used illicit rugs within a month of being arrested. Additionally, 19% of Canadian inmates studied in this survey had used drugs daily prior to their arrest, with an astounding 34% of inmates having used drugs at least once a week before they were apprehended (Brochu et al. 1999). The drug most used on the day the crime was committed was cocaine, according to (Brochu et al. 1999). Moreover, the research shows that the type of drug used is often associated with particular types of crimes. For example, use of cocaine and its derivatives is mostly associated with the crimes of theft and robbery, while marijuana use was tied mostly to break ins (Brochu et al. 1999). Therefore, the literature does show a common relationship between drugs / alcohol and crime.