Drugs and crime in Canada

DRUGS AND CRIME IN CANADA
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Drugs and crime in Canada
Introduction
The use of drugs is an important element that is associated with crime, as there is a complex link between the two. The variation is from simple possession of drugs to the organized crimes for control of drug trade. The consequences of drug use can also lead to addiction leading to commission of crimes for quick money to satisfy drug needs. There are inherent consequences of drug use by generating direct cost of both health and justice systems and indirect cost of productivity and social toll of drug users. Illicit drug users are engaged to crime as a source of income and the extent of drug consumption. Dependence and tolerance is facilitated by regular drug use hence increasing financial needs to cover the cost of drug consumption (Manzoni, 2007). Engagement of drug users to criminal activities is to generate income through crimes such as theft, and burglary, engagement in drug trade through distribution and women generating proceeds from sex work. The aim of this paper is to examine the extent of criminal involvement and drug use and factors that are associated with specific crimes and their impact.
Factors Contributing to Crime by Drug Users
The dynamics that contribute to crime are associated with pharmacological effect, socio-economic, dependence, and demographic aspects of drug users. The involvement of criminal activities is during high periods of substance use declining with period of abstinence.
Pharmacological Effect
The chronic and cumulative effects of substance use facilitate types of crime, as they damage the moral sense of users rendering them incapable to distinguish right from wrong. Intoxication reduces anxiety and fear hence, they facilitate behaviors which are difficult to find when sober (Hammersley, 2008). People who have drug problem have the tendence to offend as their behavior is influenced by drugs.
Studies have indicated that drug related crimes are associated with misuse of drugs which results in part the feeling of invincibility usually pronounced with abuse. The crimes associated with this pharmacological effect include property crimes, aggression, shop lifting and violence. These people have been in contact with law enforcers because of their criminal behavior (Hammersley, 2008). Many injuries and homicides in Canada have been contributed to substance users who have been negatively affected and commit crimes under the influence of drugs. These addicts have misused substance thereby affecting the receptor in the nervous system rendering it to be ineffective in judging the natural world. Addicts may find their environment surrounding being aggressive, and the outcome is mistrust leading to this addicts being violent ready to commit criminal activity.
Drugs have damaged the moral sense of users and this contribute more for the inability of such users to distinguish between what is morally right and morally wrong. Therefore this damage cause facilitates the type of crime they commit in an effort to access funds to acquire drugs. research indicates that there are offenders who have previous history of criminal behavior had developed from peer support for criminal activity, held anti-social beliefs and attitudes and demonstrated anti-social personality traits had the highest rates of recidivism. A large number of people arrested have used drugs during the day they committed a crime which led to their incarceration. The pharmacological effect of drugs facilitates addicts to commit crimes since they do not distinguish between right and wrong because drugs destroy their moral sense.
Socio-Economic Status
Socio-economic status is another factor that contributes to criminal activities of drug users. This is because crime has the capability of providing income that facilitates a growing drug habit, and because many substance users are not able to develop full blown dependence without being competent criminals (Tremblay, 2002). The more there is availability of funds the more drug users consume more, and hence they are dependent on crime to source funds for their drug needs. Many neighborhoods are threatened by violence that is associated with drug sales and use. The number of drug users has become a burden to the society due to death s and illnesses caused from substance abuse. There are social economic factors that facilitate the demand for drugs such as income, employment and education (Lo, 2009). Income is a major factor that facilitates the use of drugs thro ugh increased demand for drugs more often. The use of drugs affects attainment of income due to increased wage on drugs. The income earned thus, have a positive relationship with drugs use thereby a budget constraint affects these individuals due to frequency in use. Studies have indicated that increase in family income is inversely proportion to drug use and vice versa. The increased use of drugs renders individuals to have a reduced probability of employment due to increased absenteeism. Therefore, due to demand for drug and lack of finances to access drugs results to addicts committing crime as a means to source funds for their drug needs.
The dependency of drugs makes many users to lose employment as they take substance use as a luxury and the only to get fund is through crimes (Lo, 2009). Frustration within the society has contributed to individuals becoming substance users due to discrimination and lack of the necessary social amenities. These individuals acquire deviant behavior as the social status plays an important role in drug use. Individuals who come from communities having low social and economic status fall prey of being drug users and distributors. This is an attribute they aim to raise their economic and social status and the only way is through drug business which has massive profits (Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, 2007). The low levels of family income ...