What is the extent to which the drug subculture influences criminal behavior? How does it achieve this influence?
Nowadays one can see that in every nook and corner thousands of people are addicted to drugs. It is increasing day by day among adolescent children too. This will lead the children to great danger and this will exploit their better future. Nowadays one can see that it is for the need for drugs, the majority of people start to commit a crime. “In the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities, 32% of state prisoners and 26% of federal prisoners said they had committed their current offense while under the influence of drugs.” (Drugs and crime facts, 2008, Prisoner, para.1). While comparing the crimes which the offenders commit, one can see that there is an increase in the crime which is committed as a result of drug addiction. One can see that majority of prisoners had some health problem as a result of the abuse of alcohol or drugs. And as a result of the continuous use of these drugs, they were committing some offense. There is a wide increase in the field of drug abuse and criminal activities among young children. Not only selling or using drugs against the law is offensive, but committing crimes as a result of drug abuse too is a serious crime. Young children commit a crime to procure costly drugs. Any drug, even though it is prescribed, will become a dangerous one if it is used in a large amount. The harmful effect of the usage of prescription drugs is too dangerous when they are used along with alcohol and Marijuana. The reason for the wide increase in the use of prescription drugs is that it is not treated as unlawful. The drug addicts believe that if anyone sees they are using prescription drugs, they feel no shame. They compare it to the usage of other types of drugs. Moreover, prescription drugs are easy to get while compared to others. Continuous usage of drugs will result in their committing crime if they fail to get it at any time. One can say that it is the main reason for their criminal background.
What role does alcohol play in the commission of certain types of crime?
Alcohol plays a catalyst role in violent events. Alcohol has an important role in physical aggression such as rape, homicide, domestic violence, and adolescent violence. In the case of family relations, usage of alcohol leads to domestic violence and also homicides and adolescent violence such as rape, illicit sexual union, and so on. There are three probable reasons which lead to various crimes, “the first is the “psychopharmacological” type, in which the chemical effects of the drug lead to violence; the second is “economic compulsive,” in which the need to support a drug habit leads to violence committed in the course of engaging in crimes to obtain money to buy drugs; and the third is “systemic,” in which violence is committed in the course of drug dealing.” (Valdez, Kaplan, Curds, & Yin, 1995, para.2). The chemicals in the alcohol intoxicate the person and it will lead the person to violent actions.
What treatment do approaches show promise in the area of drug rehabilitation?
Excessive use of drugs can lead to physical and psychological problems. So, while taking treatment against drug addiction one should decide which type of treatment is needed. There is a variety of drug rehabilitation centers that are providing effective treatment for both mental and physical problems. When you find someone who is drug-addicted, consult the appropriate doctor as early as possible, because it will be easy to recover the problem in the initial stage. Today, there are many teenagers using drugs. Parents and teachers should make the children aware of the consequence of using drugs. Approach kindly the people who are mentally disordered by drug addiction because behaving harshly to these types of people makes them more violent, as the mind of the drug-addicted person will not be under their control. One of the Residential drug rehabilitation centers says “our residential drug rehabilitation facility is not only to provide you the best care that we can but also to provide you with hope and a second chance.” (Residential drug rehabilitation facility, 2009, The promise of our residential drug rehabilitation facility, para.1). If effective and good treatment is given, one can recover even if the condition became worst by drug addiction as various treatments have promising chances of recovery.
Is crack cocaine more lethal than powder cocaine (and should those convicted of selling “crack” receive harsher prison sentences than those convicted of selling other drugs)?
Crack is the base form of hydrochloride powder heated into solid rock and smoke and cocaine is the crack that is inhaled in the powder form. The only difference between them is that through smoking, the brain gets the cocaine very fast, and thus smoking crack is a powerful way of injecting drugs. Most often, crack is used by the marginalized poor people whereas the use of cocaine is found among wealthy people, professional athletes, etc. There is an appropriate treatment for them but when it is found in poor people, they have to face harsher prison sentences. Most often, crack addiction leads the person to violent crimes, such as homicides and domestic violence and crack is the straight reason for violent crime. Thus, crack cocaine is more fatal than powder cocaine.
References
Drugs and crime facts: Drug use and crime: Prisoners. (2008). U.S Department of justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Programs. Web.
Residential drug rehabilitation facility: the promise of our residential drug rehabilitation facility. (2009). Sunset Malibu: Luxury Addiction Treatment Center. Web.
Valdez, A., Kaplan, C D., Curds, R L., & Yin, Z. (1995). Illegal drug use, alcohol and aggressive crime among Mexican- American and white male arrestees in San Antonio. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 27(2). Web.