The Relationship Between Substance Abuse and Crime Essay

â€Å"Drugs and Alcohol abuse†, are phrases we hear commonly on the radio, television or in discussions of social problems. People believe it is the user’s personal choice however; it is not only a personal problem that dramatically affects individuals’ life but is a major social problem that affects society as whole. It has become one of the biggest problems in United States today. Alcohol or Drug abuse nearly automatically is linked with criminal acts. The statistical association between alcohol or drug abuse with crime seems to be convincing when examined at the first glance; however, it is not possible to make a conclusion concerning a distinct cause and effect association between the two aspects. Accordingly, this paper will examine†¦show more content†¦According to the data from U.S. Department of transportation, about 1.5 million drunk drivers are arrested every year. In response to an annual national survey conducted by the Bureau of Justic e, in which the sample was offenders serving jail terms for various crimes committed; 36% of the offenders indicated that they committed their crimes under the influence of alcohol or drug (http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov). This percentage accounts for nearly one million of convictions carried out yearly. However, there are some variations in substance abuse among state and federal offenders. A lot of people link drug abuse with crime, at times even with violent crime. This association comes from psychopharmacological association that imply that people may engage in criminal acts after taking some kind of substance known to undermine their judgment as well as self-control result in paranoid thoughts and distortion of inhibitions (Sewell, Poling and Sofuoglu, 189). Though all substances that affect the central nervous system might result in this kind of relationships, scientific information indicates that some type of drugs have a more strong effect than others. Such drugs are alcohol, cocaine, phencyclidine and amphetamines (McCauley, Ruggiero, Resnick and Kilpatrick, 136). Inversely, cannabis and heroin are less associated with desire to commitShow MoreRelatedThe Relationship Between Substance Abuse and Crime2406 Words   |  10 PagesSCH150. 6782 LaGuardia Community College Paper #2: The Relationship Between Substance Abuse and Crime December 11, 2012 Do you know someone who has done drugs? Well of course you do, we all do. Drugs are defined as â€Å"a substance that has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body†, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Researchers are focusing their attention on the aspect of drug addiction and drug abuse. Creating an outlet to drug awareness is the government’sRead MoreWhat Factors Affect Crime Occurrence? Essay1733 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to the Oxford Dictionary crime is an action or omission which constitutes an offense and is punishable by law . Throughout the decade’s crime has been viewed differently and punished in an unjust way. It was not until the mid-18th century that individuals started to study what is now known as criminology. A main concept of criminology is what is crime and why does it occur. Crime happens every single day for many different reasons that are hard to explain. Today many people accept thatRead Mo reTeens Top Reasons for Taking Drugs Essay614 Words   |  3 PagesThe relationship between teens and drugs has been around for decades; however, this is not what you would call positive. Substance abusing (which is using drugs or alcohol in ways than can cause physical harm) is often associated with crime. But why do youths take drugs? 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