Drug Dependence, Drug Abuse in Committing Crimes - Essay Example

There is a saying that goes in every action; there is motivator for a certain person to act as such. True enough, certain things drive a lot of the things that we have done regardless of the intent. With this, one might conclude that what drives a certain person determines his course of action. In the same way, if we are to further analyze drug addiction in relation to criminality and vice versa, there are no human beings who can be categorized as criminal or drug addict but there are things that triggered a certain person form him to be classified as such. Also, no reasons on why these people with such a distinction are similar with each other. In line with this, a question arises "Are drug users driven to crime, driven by their enslavement to expensive drugs that can be afforded only through continuous predatory activities Or is it that drugs drive crime, that careers in drugs intensify already existing criminal career" This kind of question arises as there are people whether a psychologist, an observer or the people who experienced such a fate have different claims concerning the issue. There are people ho claimed that it is because of the addiction with illegal drugs which drives a certain person to commit crime to satisfy his cravings for the drug and there are those who assert that it is due to the fact that some crime perpetrators pacify their egos by using illegal drugs and its continuous usage is perhaps the main reasons on why they tend to alleviate their crime activities. In studying and observing the development of a certain individual regarding his actions, it is important to know and analyze the environment a certain individual belongs and how they are driven to act as such. In analyzing this kind of premise, one will have the idea that the actuations of drug users who are driven to crime act as such because of their enslavement to expensive drugs in order to compensate and satisfy their cravings in illegal drugs. In recent Findings done by the United Nations in 2006 it was stated "Some 200 million people, or 5 percent of the global population age 15-64, have used illicit drugs at least once in the last 12 months. Among this population are people from almost every country on earth. More people are involved in the production and trafficking of illicit drugs and still more are touched by the devastating social and economic costs of this problem." Upon analyzing this statistical study, one might conclude that drugs are commodity for some as five percent of the world's population have and may be continuously using such a thing. In This case, it is true that there are people who tend to use drugs. However, establishing the reasons on why they use such is another complicated issue to be settled. Of course, most Psychological fellow suggests that majority of these people uses these drugs out of curiosity, escape of reality and problems. However, this should not stop there. It is an established fact that majority of the crimes that were committed in UK and in other parts of the world has something to do with illegal drugs. If we are to delve and fathom the effects of drugs in a certain individual, it is now immaterial on how a certain individual starts in abusing illegal drugs. In this case, what matters most is determining the mindset of a drug dependent and his actuations particularly those who are committing crimes. Majority of Psychologists, Sociologists and drug experts suggests and concluded that drug dependents resort into criminal activities to obtain resources to give into their cravings with illegal drugs. There were historical accounts attesting that drug abuse has something to do with money and most of the dependents resort into criminal activities in order to satisfy their cravings. Birch (1997) stated that "It was during the nineteenth century, a period of rapidly increasing prosperity, that drug addiction started to become a major social problem both in this country (UK) and in America. The proliferation of patent medicines and opiate nostrums like laudanum and paregoric, and an amazingly complacent and liberal approach to the prescribing of morphine by the new medical profession, brought addiction to the masses and the opium drunkard to the attention of both newspaper columnists and social reformers. The pendulum swung back. New regulations reduced the availability of the opiates, and of cocaine, and induced a greater degree of responsibility among doctors and pharmacists. This was instrumental in curing the immediate epidemic and in keeping the lid on the problem until after the Second World War." In this case, if we are to analyze, since time immemorial money has something to do with drugs and in order to obtain such a commodity, one must have tremendous amount of resources to compensate the needs. It is within the common knowledge of everybody in UK that crime perpetrators who are traced to be involved or are using illegal drugs has something to do with their addiction and for some to satisfy their addiction, they must resort into illegal and criminal activities in order to produce resources which they would later utilize for their consumption of illegal drugs. One of the considered determinants and motivators on how a drug dependent tends to commit crimes is due to the fact that upon the continuous use of illegal drugs, they have developed a disease called schizophrenia. In dealing with this kind of disease, Schizophrenia according to pdrhealth.com (2007) is defined as "Schizophrenia is a chronic and debilitating mental illness that affects up to 1% of the general population. Schizophrenia is a severe and disabling brain disorder that usually begins in late adolescence or early adulthood, and often lasts in one form or another throughout life. The symptoms of schizophrenia are diverse, and affect many different aspects of brain functioning. You may experience difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy (psychosis), find your mental quickness and emotions to be dulled, and may have difficulty communicating. There are five subtypes of schizophrenia: paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, residual, or undifferentiated. The symptoms you have will depend on your subtype of schizophrenia." In considering this illness as a bi-product of drug dependence, then it is possible for a person to commit crime since a person fails to distinguish reality from fantasy. There are accounts that killings have been made due to hallucination of the drug dependent in which he visualized his victim as villain, which is the main reason for him to commit the crime. In relation to Schizophrenia as a relation to drug abuse in committing crimes, dawnfarm.org (2007) have reported that cannabis abuse (which is considered as illegal drug) is one of the major culprit why a certain drug dependent have developed such a disease. "If cannabis causes schizophrenia - and that remains in question - then by 2010 up to 25 per cent of new cases of schizophrenia in the UK may be due to cannabis, according to a new study by Dr Matthew Hickman of the University of Bristol and colleagues, published in Addiction journal. Substantial increases in both prevalence and incidence of the disease are forecast by the end of the decade, with increases in schizophrenia starting earlier among young men in particular. The research study matches historic trends in cannabis use and exposure from a national population survey against estimates of new occurrences of schizophrenia in three English cities (Nottingham, Bristol and the London Borough of Southwark)." If such a notion is true, then it would be established that drug dependence is a major element which drives a certain individual to commit crime. The aforementioned premise is a basis that drug dependents are driven to commit crimes on the basis of their dependence on drugs illegal drugs. Obtaining a disease is just a by product but it boils down to the continuous use of drugs why a certain individual develops such an illness. If we are to analyze, it is an indication that an individual has developed dependence over illegal drugs. The people who are addicted in using drugs with regards to their actions are drug dependent. There are claims which are accepted by the almost all of people specializing in this kind of field of study which states that if a drug user becomes dependent on it, he will crave for more dosage against from his previous takings. Should this happen, that person will look into activities that would provide the needed resources just to satisfy the craving. However, due to the fact that majority of the illegal drugs are expensive, activities on providing the needs on illegal drugs may include criminal activities such as theft, robbery, kidnappings and even murder. In this case, one might conclude that it is because of the person's dependence on drugs, which drives him to commit such an activity. Such a claim that drugs has something to do with commission of certain crimes have its weight and big probability concerning the satisfaction of the aforementioned question. In dealing with this, one might have the idea that blaming drug addiction for crimes is a thing which one cannot disregard. In this particular incident, the claim drugs as a source of crime is established. However, how can one be certain that it is because of addiction to drugs that triggers a certain individual to commit such a crime Is it a plain coincidence Or the perpetrators have other things in mind while committing the crime These are just some of the questions that are in need to be satisfied to establish the first claim. In order to further substantiate the claim, looking into similar committed crimes in relation to drug dependence is an important thing to do and consider. However, there are claims that drug-dependents are sometimes victimized by stereotyping which some crimes are attributed to them even if they are not the perpetrators of it. Sometimes, law enforcers and lawmakers are over exaggerated to conclude that the drug dependents are driven by their addiction towards illegal drugs. Howie M (2007) reported that "Current laws are driven by a moral panic and a more effective drugs policy would focus on harm reduction rather than cutting crime, the commission's report concluded. The report said: "The use of illegal drugs is by no means always harmful any more than alcohol use is always harmful. The evidence suggests that a majority of people who use drugs are able to use them without harming themselves or others. The flaws in drug policy are demonstrated, it claimed, by the categorization of ecstasy along with heroin and cocaine as a Class A drug. Such a classification "probably does most to undermine the credibility of our drug laws in the eyes of that section of the population that is most likely to use drugs: namely, the hundreds of thousands of people for whom 'dance drugs' are a routine feature of a good night out," the report said." On the second thought, this kind of premise must not be an excuse for us to conclude that drugs does not drive the people to commit crimes. These premises must be categorized as isolated cases and must not be the sole basis to affect the conclusion and claim of this paper. Basically, it is easy to point out the claim that the people who are indulged and dependent on illegal drugs have committed several crimes in relation to their addictions. However, no one is certain about his or her mindset upon committing the crime. Majority of the accounts and claims that are done and being studied upon is based upon the statements of the people who are committed the crime and confessed that they are dependent with illegal Drugs. This means that most of the studies that are done in relation to this rely on second hand experience. In this case, how can one be certain that the person is saying the truth Of course no one is certain except for a fact that the study is being limited to the person who is stating such a claim. If we are to analyze, the claim as to whether drug and the addiction to it as the cause of the crime is vague in particular if we are to base this claim in the given premise. For example, a certain individual has bitterness to the other person. However, that individual is bothered by his conscience and in order to get even with that person, he resorted in taking up illegal drugs which he deem as stimulant to stimulate his feelings-after which he committed the crime. Upon analyzing this kind of premise, one might ask, is this case of a drug-related crime, or a crime aided by illegal drugs Upon analyzing these, it is also important to establish the claim that drugs and the dependence of it through continuous usage does have negative effects in a certain individual particularly in his brain which affects his actuations. But what really is the real score with regards to the premise which tells that the enslavement of the people in using illegal drugs is the main reason in determining the actuations of the drug dependents, particularly, their actuations particularly in committing crimes. Majority of the authorities believes that the crimes were committed regardless of what illegal drug they have taken, has something to do with their mindset and cravings for the said drug. National Institute on Drug abuse have pinpointed that "Addiction does begin with drug abuse when an individual makes a conscious choice to use drugs, but addiction is not just "a lot of drug use." Recent scientific research provides overwhelming evidence that not only do drugs interfere with normal brain functioning creating powerful feelings of pleasure, but they also have long-term effects on brain metabolism and activity. At some point, changes occur in the brain that can turn drug abuse into addiction, a chronic, relapsing illness. Those addicted to drugs suffer from a compulsive drug craving and usage and cannot quit by themselves. Treatment is necessary to end this compulsive behavior (2007)." The aforementioned premise suggests that there is an adverse reaction to the brain in using illegal drugs which can be the cause on why a certain drug dependent acts in contrary to what a normal people do. In this case, a certain dependent could in a way think that he is thinking normally and doing crimes is at normal as it looks. In this case, the dependent fails to distinguish hallucinations from reality. To add to that, drug addiction is described by Britannica encyclopedia described drug addiction as "Physical and/or psychological dependency on a psychoactive (mind-altering) substance (e.g., alcohol, narcotics, nicotine), defined as continued use despite knowing that the substance causes harm. Physical dependency results when the body builds up a tolerance to a drug, needing increasing doses to achieve the desired effects and to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Psychological dependency may have more to do with one's psychological makeup; some people may have a genetic tendency to addiction. The most common addictions are to alcohol barbiturates, tranquilizers, and amphetamines, as well as to the stimulants nicotine and caffeine (2007)." In this case, it strengthens the claim that the abuse of drugs has something to do with the actuations of the people particularly in committing crime. In dealing with the committed crime it is important to delve with the reasons why these dependents committed crimes since it is very important to know the determinants to conclude that drugs have something to do with the actions of its dependents. In a closer perspective, the crimes that were committed varies in nature and how these crimes were committed were not established to what extent does drugs have effects on these people assuming that they were driven to commit crime in relation with their addiction. In this particular case, it is hard to establish that these people are really driven to commit crime because of their addiction or attachment with illegal drugs. It is established that illegal drugs altered the function of brains which is deemed as the reason why people does things which they cannot do without the influence of drugs. Such premises are hint as to what extent does drugs altered human thinking. Logically, if we are to analyze the syllogism then one will have the idea, if one who is not under the influence of illegal drugs cannot commit things when he is under the influence of drugs, then one could conclude that drugs has something to do with the actuation of that person. Also, there are clues that would lead us into the solution of the problem with regards to the premise that people who are dependent in drugs are driven by it to commit crimes. Basically, majority of these crime perpetrators who are using and are dependent to drugs follows same trail before they commit crime-they will be addicted to drugs, and afterwards resort into fund-producing activity to support their vices, even committing crimes. If this is the case, it is also important to know the and identify the common crimes that are committed by drug dependents and some analytical assessments done by medical doctors as well as psychiatrists with regards to the content and the kind of drug that they are taking in determining the effect of drugs and to what extent they could do. In this particular premise, the similarity of the crimes that were committed by drug dependents and the amount that they are taking are vital indicators of the problem. Secondly, it is very important to have a psychological perspective in relation to the problem to establish the claim of this paper; drug users are driven to commit crime by their cravings for it. In doing such, establishing the mindset along with the effect of the drugs that were and are continuously used by the culprit or criminals is very important in the study. However, it is immaterial to have these facts without knowing the prime reason on what drives these people to commit crimes. It is very important to establish that it is their addiction, which is the prime reason why they commit such acts. Basically, if one wants to have and obtain results which has something to do with the mindset of a certain individual, then it is very important to obtain the views and medical opinion of psychologists to attest to the kind of mindset a drug dependent has in order to further analyze and establish that drug abuse triggers a certain individual to commit crime. In order to fully understand this kind of premise with regards to the relation of drugs and the addiction of it to commit crimes, obtaining psychological views and perspective regarding the matter is very important to have an understanding regarding the mindset of drug dependents in particular. In dealing with similarities, it is very important to know the kind of illegal drugs that they are using in order to know the effects of drugs and how the addiction on it influence their actuations. According to 1998 British statistics on drug-related offences, 76.1% of those convicted, released on bond, fined or charged with multiple drug offences were involved with marijuana; most were arrested for possession (Drug Scope 2000). If we are to base with statistics, majority of the people in UK are abusing drugs, which are cheaper- In this kind of situation looking into the people who are using marijuana and other cheaper illegal drug substances. "In a British study based on four regions of the United Kingdom, the majority of arrestees who said that they thought that their drug use and crime were connected also said that the two were connected because they needed money to buy drugs 70% (Bennett T 2000). However, the psychological dependence of a certain individual with illegal drugs also has something to do with the commission of crime. It is on the fact that the dependents are driven by their state of mind on the basis that they have a conditioned mind or their body system particularly their mindset are used to such a setting which prompted them to ask and crave for something not just because they are craving for it but due to the fact that drugs is now a part of their system. Furthermore, Gilmore (1996) further stated that it is the mindset of the person where the difference of the effect of the drug has something to do. He further stressed that "[A]lmost every psychoactive drug known to humanity, from alcohol to opium, has been regarded by some government and society as a dire threat to public order and moral standards, and by another government and another society as a source of harmless pleasure. Further, nations and governments sometimes change their views completely. Almost every society has at least one drug whose use is tolerated, while drugs used in other cultures are generally viewed quite differently and with deep suspicion. Mexican Indians may have disapproved of alcohol, but they used mescaline. Most Muslim cultures forbid alcohol, but they tolerate cannabis and opium." If we are to look at the definition, the claim that drugs could drive a certain individual to commit crime on the basis that the individual has no or lesser capability of controlling his mindset which is the main reason why some crimes where committed by the dependents in a manner which they are not conscious or they no nothing will committing the crime. This kind of fact would give us a hint that sometimes, crimes that were committed is way beyond the control of the drug dependent but can be regarded as a result of his addiction to drugs. However, the claim that it is due to drug abuse which triggers a certain individual to commit crime is still another story and is yet to be established. In a study conducted in UK, it was established that there are factual evidences to attest that illegal drugs-driven crimes. "Law enforcement authorities in the UK conducted an experiment in policing in the London borough of Lambeth, wherein cannabis violations were given a low priority. Researchers for PRS Consultancy Group undertook an evaluation of the program at the request of the Borough Police Commander. The researchers found that: "The measures of police activity demonstrate that the policy has succeeded in releasing resources, and that activity against more serious offences has increased (PRS Consultancy Group 2002). "During the 6 months of the evaluation, Lambeth officers issued 450 warnings. This released at least 1350 hours of officer time (by avoiding custody procedures and interviewing time), equivalent to 1.8 full-time officers. A further 1150 hours of CJU staff time was released by avoiding case file preparation. "In comparison with the same 6 months in 2000, Lambeth officers recorded 35% more cannabis possession offences and 11% more for trafficking. In adjoining Boroughs possession offencesfell by 4% and trafficking fell by 34% (PRS Consultancy Group 2002)." The crimes most often committed by individuals who have developed an intense dependency on a drug and who do not have the financial and social means to obtain it are drug trafficking, prostitution, theft of property, break and enter, and fraud (Brochu, 1995 and 1997.). This thing beefed-up the claim that drug users are driven by their enslavement in drugs. Their dependency on it determines their actuation up to the extent of committing crimes to have their resources in order to obtain their wants and vices, particularly, illegal drugs. In relation to marijuana and similar illegal substances addiction, it is established that due to the fact that these kinds of substances are cheaper than others, more people opt to choose to be addicted in these kinds of drugs. However, unaware that some of the drug pushers and traffickers are using such a strategy for promotional purposes and would be altered by higher prices should the pusher or trafficker that the individual is in the state of addiction (Dorn,Murji and South 1992). This kind of state is the determinant and what drives the drug dependent to venture into moneymaking activities, regardless of means, in order to have finance and obtain resources for their vices. These means may include crimes in order to have the resources needed to acquire the drug that they are craving for. Furthermore Gilmore (1996) added that "Drug users are frequently portrayed as criminals, and many have criminal records because the "production, manufacture, export, import, distribution of, trade in, use and possession of a variety of drugs is illegal, both internationally and domestically. Moreover, the health of drug users is often imperiled by the marginalization, stigmatization, and discrimination they suffer. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in responses to epidemic diseases. Offering a persuasive model to understand these responses to drug use" References: 1) United Nations (2006). "World Drug Report." United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [online] available from [ March 20, 2007] 2) Birch P (1997) Analysis of the Drug Problem.[online] 25 December 1997 available from [April 10, 2007] 3) pdrhealth.com (2007).Schizophrenia. [online] available from < http://www.pdrhealth.com/patient_education/BHG01PS13.shtml> [April 10, 2007] 4) dawnfarm.org (2007).Cannabis-related Schizophrenia May Be Set To Rise, Say Researchers. Addiction and Recovery News. [online] 27 March 2007 < http://www.dawnfarm.org/blog_archives/2007_03_01_dawnfarm_archive.html> [ April 10, 2007] 5) Howie M (2007) Moral panic' of drug laws isolates users and fuels crime, says report The Scottsman [online] 9 March 2007 < http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk.cfmid=373002007> [ April 10, 2007]. 6) National Institute on Drugs abuse (2007). "Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction" 7) Bennett T (2000) Drugs and Crime: The Results of the Second Developmental Stage of the NEW-ADAM Programme, Vol 3 pp 55-59. 8) Gilmore (1996) drug use and human rights: privacy, vulnerability, disability, and human rights infringements. journal of contemporary health law and policy. Vol 12 1996 9) PRS Consultancy Group (2002), "Evaluation of Lambeth's pilot of warnings for possession of cannabis - summary of final report," May 2002. 10) Brochu (1995 and 1997),detailed analysis of the types of crime committed by drug addicts Vol 2 and 3 11) Dorn,Murji and South (1992), Traffickers: drug markets and law enforcement. London: Routledge Vol 1&2 pp45-47;55-59 12) Read More