Drug Use Causes Crime

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Most individuals who have committed an act in violation of the law and convicted by the criminal justice system have used drugs at one time or another. The law enforcement system suggests that alcohol and drug dependence is the motive for the crimes. The hypotheses discussed drug use causes crime; crime causes drug use and drug use and crime share common causes. In consideration of drug use causes crime, substance abuse is linked to a lot of different criminal activities. This includes violations of the law because the drug user is trying to get money to buy drugs or alcohol and breaks the law when they are under the influence. For instance violence against friends and family or stealing in order to feed a drug habit and getting into fights are examples of drug use leading to crime. …show more content…

The connection is that drug users who commit an illegal act are more likely to be arrested than other offenders. “In this case people who are predisposed to commit crimes also use drugs” (Levinthal, 2012, pg. 92). Such as drug dealers and prostitution both are illegal acts however people involved in these activities participate in a life of crime as a way to obtain additional income to purchase drugs. Some people are at a higher risk of becoming a person who commits an illegal act because of the circumstances into which they associated with. “Official recognition of a possible link between crime and drug use began with the White House conferences and Presidential commissions of the early to mid-1960’s but speculation on the presumed relationship between crime and drugs was around long before the turn of the 20th century” (Walters, 2014,

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