Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry
Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
Illicit drug use by perpetrators of violence • In Los Angeles, USA, 35% of methamphetamine users aged 18-25 years old were found to have committed violence while under the influence of the drug . Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
• In Memphis,USA,victimsandfamilymembersbelievedthat92% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence had used drugs or alcohol during the day of the assault and 67% had used a combination of cocaine and alcohol (8). A study on intimate partner violence in China found that partners housed illicit drugs were significantly more likely to abuse their spouses physically, sexually, or both (9).Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
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• Results from the British Crime Survey 2007/08 showed that victims of violent crime believed the offender to be under the influence of drugs in 19% of incidents (10). • In Australia, perpetrators of violence against nurses in emergency departments were perceived to be under the influence of drugs in 25% of cases (11). • In Atlanta, USA, ecstacy users with higher levels of lifetime use exhibited higher rates of aggressive and violent behaviour (12).
• In Rhode Island, USA, a quarter of women arrested for intimate partner violence and referred by courts to intimate partner violence prevention programme reported symptoms consistent with a drug-related diagnosis (13). • In Canada, boys reporting sexual harassment perpetration were seven times more likely to use drugs and girls four times more likely to use drugs (14). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.• In a study of violence in youth holiday resorts among young German, Spanish and British holidaymakers, the use of cocaine during the holiday was associated with triple the odds of involvement in fighting and use of cannabis with double the odds (15). • In England and Wales, 12% of arrestees held for assault tested positive for cocaine use and 24% for opiate use (excluding methadone) (16). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.• Amongst patients to emergency departments in Cape Town and Durban in South Africa those with violence-related injuries were more likely to test positive for drugs than patients with other injury types (17). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
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a Where the type of drug used is not defined, this is because the source does not provide this information.
Illicit drug use by victims of violence • In Victoria, Australia, 17.5% of sexual assaults were allegedly drug facilitated. Of these, many had knowingly consumed recreational or prescriptive drugs prior to the assault taking place (18). • In the USA, victims of child physical or sexual abuse, or neglect have been estimated to be 1.5 times more likely to report illicit drug use, particularly cannabis, in adulthood during the past year than non-abused individuals (19). • In a European survey on violence victimization among dependent drug users in Austria, England, Germany and Switzerland, 42% reported a history of being attacked, assaulted or molested in the last six months (20). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
• In the USA, women’s use of hard drugs including cocaine and heroin was associated with increased odds of experiencing intimate partner violence in ongoing relationships; both cannabis and hard drug use were associated with increased likelihood of being a victim of intimate partner violence in new relationships (21). • In Ontario, Canada, individuals reporting parental substance use were at more than twice the risk of exposure to childhood physical and sexual abuse (22). • In emergency room studies, cannabis and cocaine use in combination with alcohol were related to violence-related injuries in the UK, Canada and South Africa (23). • In Scotland, 25% of drug users had been assaulted in the last six months (24). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
Violence within illicit drug markets The lack of formal social and economic controls in illicit drug markets facilitates the spread of violence. Without legal means for resolving business conflicts within drug markets, there is a tendency for violence to emerge as the dominant mechanism of conflict resolution (25-29). Furthermore, gangs and individuals involved in the drug dealing often carry guns for self defence from other groups or individuals who pose a threat to drug operations (30,31). • In Pittsburgh, USA, almost 80% of 19 year olds who sold hard drugs such as cocaine were found to also carry a gun (32). • In England and Wales approximately one third of all arrestees reported owning or holding a gun at some time in their lives; a key reason for doing so was for protection or self defense in buying or selling drugs (16).
4
b Whilst there is no internationally agreed terminology for discussing hard drug use, this brief will use this term to refer to the use of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
• In the Caribbean, drug sales and trafficking have led to increases in armed gangs who are attracted by the profits made through such activities (33). • The presence of drug-gangs in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, contributes to a continued influx of weapons to the community and associated violence (34).
3. Mechanisms linking interpersonal violence and illicit drugs There are multiple mechanisms linking interpersonal violence and illicit drug use. These links are far from simple and although associations are well established, few studies have examined causal relationships.Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper. Different illicit drugs have different effects and as such some drugs may be related to violence more than others. Individual personality and biological factors, situational factors (the setting in which drug use occurs)and socio-cultural factors a really influential in this relationship(31,3539). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
Three theoretical explanations for the drug-violence relationship have been proposed. Firstly,drug use may be linked to violence at the direct psychopharmacological level. Here, as a result of short- or long-term ingestion of specific substances, individuals may experience changes in physiological functioning that, in an unintoxicated state, restrain behaviour. Secondly, drug-related violence can be economic compulsive, in that individuals addicted or dependent on illicit substances (e.g. cocaine and heroin) will commit crimes, including violent crimes, as a means to fund their drug use (25,40-47). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.Thirdly, drug-related violence can be systemic, with violence being an inherent part of the illicit drug market. Violence is used to enforce the payment of debts, to resolve competition between dealers, and to punish informants (2529,40,44,45,47,48).
Research into the drugs-violence relationship has shown that: • The effects of some drugs, including crack/cocaine, amphetamines and benzodiazepines have been found to increase aggressive and violent behavior (29,35,38,40,46,49-55). Whilst cannabis and heroin use can reduce the likelihood of violence during intoxication, some studies suggest that withdrawal from long term use is associated with aggression (6,7,40,47,49,56). • Individual beliefs and expectations of the effects of drugs (e.g. increased confidence and aggression) mean that some drugs are used in preparation for involvement in violent behaviour (57-59). • Drugs and violence may be linked as those involved in one form of deviance such as drug use may be more likely to engage in other deviant behaviors such as violence (7,40,60,61). • Experiencing violence and living in dysfunctional households (e.g. where illicit drugs are consumed among st household members) during childhood is associated with drug use in later life (62,63).
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• Drugs are used as a coping mechanism to deal with the distress associated with being a victim of violence (64-66). • Exposure to unsafe environments in which drug use occurs increases an individual’s risk of violent victimization (67). • Prenatal and perinatal drug use by parents have been shown to increase levels of stress among st parents and may result in subsequent child maltreatment (68,69),whilst drug dependence can also lead to individuals failing to fulfill parental responsibilities (67). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
Illicit drug use by perpetrators of violence • In Los Angeles, USA, 35% of methamphetamine users aged 18-25 years old were found to have committed violence while under the influence of the drug . Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
• In Memphis,USA,victimsandfamilymembersbelievedthat92% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence had used drugs or alcohol during the day of the assault and 67% had used a combination of cocaine and alcohol (8). A study on intimate partner violence in China found that partners housed illicit drugs were significantly more likely to abuse their spouses physically, sexually, or both (9).Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
Permalink: https://collepals.com//violence-in-the-…y-research-paper/
• Results from the British Crime Survey 2007/08 showed that victims of violent crime believed the offender to be under the influence of drugs in 19% of incidents (10). • In Australia, perpetrators of violence against nurses in emergency departments were perceived to be under the influence of drugs in 25% of cases (11). • In Atlanta, USA, ecstacy users with higher levels of lifetime use exhibited higher rates of aggressive and violent behaviour (12).
• In Rhode Island, USA, a quarter of women arrested for intimate partner violence and referred by courts to intimate partner violence prevention programme reported symptoms consistent with a drug-related diagnosis (13). • In Canada, boys reporting sexual harassment perpetration were seven times more likely to use drugs and girls four times more likely to use drugs (14). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.• In a study of violence in youth holiday resorts among young German, Spanish and British holidaymakers, the use of cocaine during the holiday was associated with triple the odds of involvement in fighting and use of cannabis with double the odds (15). • In England and Wales, 12% of arrestees held for assault tested positive for cocaine use and 24% for opiate use (excluding methadone) (16). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.• Amongst patients to emergency departments in Cape Town and Durban in South Africa those with violence-related injuries were more likely to test positive for drugs than patients with other injury types (17). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
3
a Where the type of drug used is not defined, this is because the source does not provide this information.
Illicit drug use by victims of violence • In Victoria, Australia, 17.5% of sexual assaults were allegedly drug facilitated. Of these, many had knowingly consumed recreational or prescriptive drugs prior to the assault taking place (18). • In the USA, victims of child physical or sexual abuse, or neglect have been estimated to be 1.5 times more likely to report illicit drug use, particularly cannabis, in adulthood during the past year than non-abused individuals (19). • In a European survey on violence victimization among dependent drug users in Austria, England, Germany and Switzerland, 42% reported a history of being attacked, assaulted or molested in the last six months (20). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
• In the USA, women’s use of hard drugs including cocaine and heroin was associated with increased odds of experiencing intimate partner violence in ongoing relationships; both cannabis and hard drug use were associated with increased likelihood of being a victim of intimate partner violence in new relationships (21). • In Ontario, Canada, individuals reporting parental substance use were at more than twice the risk of exposure to childhood physical and sexual abuse (22). • In emergency room studies, cannabis and cocaine use in combination with alcohol were related to violence-related injuries in the UK, Canada and South Africa (23). • In Scotland, 25% of drug users had been assaulted in the last six months (24). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
Violence within illicit drug markets The lack of formal social and economic controls in illicit drug markets facilitates the spread of violence. Without legal means for resolving business conflicts within drug markets, there is a tendency for violence to emerge as the dominant mechanism of conflict resolution (25-29). Furthermore, gangs and individuals involved in the drug dealing often carry guns for self defence from other groups or individuals who pose a threat to drug operations (30,31). • In Pittsburgh, USA, almost 80% of 19 year olds who sold hard drugs such as cocaine were found to also carry a gun (32). • In England and Wales approximately one third of all arrestees reported owning or holding a gun at some time in their lives; a key reason for doing so was for protection or self defense in buying or selling drugs (16).
4
b Whilst there is no internationally agreed terminology for discussing hard drug use, this brief will use this term to refer to the use of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
• In the Caribbean, drug sales and trafficking have led to increases in armed gangs who are attracted by the profits made through such activities (33). • The presence of drug-gangs in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, contributes to a continued influx of weapons to the community and associated violence (34).
3. Mechanisms linking interpersonal violence and illicit drugs There are multiple mechanisms linking interpersonal violence and illicit drug use. These links are far from simple and although associations are well established, few studies have examined causal relationships.Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper. Different illicit drugs have different effects and as such some drugs may be related to violence more than others. Individual personality and biological factors, situational factors (the setting in which drug use occurs)and socio-cultural factors a really influential in this relationship(31,3539). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
Three theoretical explanations for the drug-violence relationship have been proposed. Firstly,drug use may be linked to violence at the direct psychopharmacological level. Here, as a result of short- or long-term ingestion of specific substances, individuals may experience changes in physiological functioning that, in an unintoxicated state, restrain behaviour. Secondly, drug-related violence can be economic compulsive, in that individuals addicted or dependent on illicit substances (e.g. cocaine and heroin) will commit crimes, including violent crimes, as a means to fund their drug use (25,40-47). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.Thirdly, drug-related violence can be systemic, with violence being an inherent part of the illicit drug market. Violence is used to enforce the payment of debts, to resolve competition between dealers, and to punish informants (2529,40,44,45,47,48).
Research into the drugs-violence relationship has shown that: • The effects of some drugs, including crack/cocaine, amphetamines and benzodiazepines have been found to increase aggressive and violent behavior (29,35,38,40,46,49-55). Whilst cannabis and heroin use can reduce the likelihood of violence during intoxication, some studies suggest that withdrawal from long term use is associated with aggression (6,7,40,47,49,56). • Individual beliefs and expectations of the effects of drugs (e.g. increased confidence and aggression) mean that some drugs are used in preparation for involvement in violent behaviour (57-59). • Drugs and violence may be linked as those involved in one form of deviance such as drug use may be more likely to engage in other deviant behaviors such as violence (7,40,60,61). • Experiencing violence and living in dysfunctional households (e.g. where illicit drugs are consumed among st household members) during childhood is associated with drug use in later life (62,63).
5
• Drugs are used as a coping mechanism to deal with the distress associated with being a victim of violence (64-66). • Exposure to unsafe environments in which drug use occurs increases an individual’s risk of violent victimization (67). • Prenatal and perinatal drug use by parents have been shown to increase levels of stress among st parents and may result in subsequent child maltreatment (68,69),whilst drug dependence can also lead to individuals failing to fulfill parental responsibilities (67). Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry Research Paper.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Violence In The Illegal Drug Industry
Introduction
The illegal drug industry is one of the most violent industries in history. It’s also a multi-billion dollar one, which makes it even more dangerous. If you’ve ever considered legalizing drugs, you might be wondering whether or not this is actually an argument against legalization. I’ll show you why it is not: firstly, because we have never had a successful experiment in ending prohibition; and secondly, because any attempt at legalization will fail unless we address the underlying causes of violence associated with the drug trade—namely addiction.
Violence is inherent in the illegal drug industry.
The illegal drug trade is inherently violent because it involves a lot of people and money. Drug dealers are often involved in other illegal activities, such as prostitution and theft. This means that they have to defend themselves against rival gangs who want their business or territory.
Drug users are also involved in other illegal activities in order to get money for drugs. When you buy drugs from an illicit dealer, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be able to deliver what you ordered on time or at all—and if he does deliver it, then the quality may not be up to par with what you were promised (or maybe even worse). In addition to this risk factor, there’s always the possibility that someone may try stealing from them when they’re out shopping for drugs; thus having another person around increases security levels significantly!
The drug industry has always been violent, and attempts at legalization have always failed.
The drug industry has always been violent, and attempts at legalization have always failed. This is what we need to keep in mind when thinking about how the drug industry will operate under legalization.
The idea that you can make money by selling illegal drugs is nothing new—it’s been around for centuries. But it’s also true that selling drugs is inherently violent, as most people involved in the trade have been forced into it through violence or coercion of some kind; they’re not happy with their current situation and they want out! To do this job well requires an enormous amount of organization (which makes sense if your goal is profit), so there’s no way around having some sort of organization behind these organizations; otherwise everyone would just be taking whatever they wanted without any restrictions whatsoever!
Legalizing drugs would make them cheaper, which would hurt the poor most.
One of the biggest arguments against legalizing drugs is that they would become too expensive. The argument goes something like this: If you legalize marijuana, it will be cheaper than it is now in America because there are no taxes on the drug and so you can’t compete with other countries’ prices.
This is not actually true—the US has one of the highest taxes on cigarettes in the world; we also have an extensive network of laws designed to keep people from smoking them outside designated areas (such as parks). So if anything, legalizing marijuana would make it more expensive for many Americans who want to smoke but don’t want anyone else thinking they’re crazy for doing so.
If you look at other nations where drugs were legalized, however, things aren’t quite as clear cut. In Uruguay (where pot was legalized in 2013), cannabis is cheaper than tobacco products despite having high taxes on both substances; while this may seem strange given that cannabis isn’t taxed here either way (and most Canadians think their country should follow suit), there’s another explanation: Uruguay has much stricter controls over its supply chain than Canada does—it doesn’t allow farmers or producers any latitude when growing crops like hemp or marijuana seeds; likewise with distribution channels such as dispensaries which are only allowed under certain circumstances today but could potentially be closed down completely under new regulations governing their operations if someone wants something harder than weed available right away–so long as those rules aren’t violated during transit through Customs checkpoints along border crossings between provinces where both countries share jurisdiction over such matters
Drug legalization would make drug addiction less of a problem for society as a whole.
Drug legalization would make drug addiction less of a problem for society as a whole.
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People who are addicted to drugs are more likely to commit crimes. Studies have shown that those who use drugs are more likely than the general population to be arrested, convicted, and incarcerated—and that’s not just in the United States! In Canada, arrest rates for drug possession have risen by about 70% over the past decade (from 16% among adults aged 25–34 years old) while arrests for other crimes such as robbery or assault rose only 20%. This means that even if you don’t sell any drugs yourself; if you know someone else who does or could be tempted into doing so; or if there is some sort of criminal activity around your neighborhood where they might buy their supplies…then these factors will push up your own risk profile too!
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Drug addicts are also more likely than most people who don’t use them at all but still live within close proximity with them: studies show that these individuals tend not only suffer from poorer health outcomes but also experience higher levels of stress due entirely upon living alongside someone suffering from substance abuse problems (such as homelessness). These kinds of emotional effects can lead directly into physical conditions such as diabetes mellitus type II which leads into heart disease later down line due solely upon having lived through prior experiences with addiction issues over time periods spanning decades long periods here versus others elsewhere around world during different times periods altogether.”
Drugs have been illegal since before we had an understanding of addiction, and this cannot be undone easily.
You may be surprised to learn that drugs have been illegal for a long time. It’s true! In fact, they’ve been illegal almost as long as we’ve had an understanding of addiction and the dangers associated with drug use.
Drugs are addictive, which means they can be harmful if used often enough. They also cause crime and violence among users who don’t know better—and when those crimes happen in public places like schools or parks (or even just next door), they make everyone else feel unsafe too!
Conclusion
Perhaps we should be grateful that drug legalization is not a viable option. The war on drugs has been a failure and will continue to be so until we understand that violence is inherent in the illegal drug industry. If anything, we need to increase our commitment to treating addiction as a medical issue rather than a crime.
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