Drug Crimes: Why is it a Social Problem?

Illegal drugs continue to be a major social problem throughout the world. It is argued that drugs are responsible for crime, violence, and the spread of HIV. Unfortunately, these only represent part of the problem. Drug-exposed infants, the breakdown of families and the deterioration of drug-inflicted neighborhoods, just to name a few, are also consequences of drugs. Not only do drugs affect the user, they affect people and communities that are surrounded by them, specifically friends and family members of the users (Lee P. Brown).

Drugs such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and amphetamines that are used, manufactured, possessed, and distributed are crimes in themselves. Drugs also relate to crime through the effects that the drug has on the user’s behavior which eventually generates into violence and other illegal activities such as drug trafficking. Not only do these drugs create a lot of problems for people and their communities, but they also damage a person’s body and mind. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are three different types of relationships between drugs and crime. They are, Drug-defined offenses which are violations of the law in the possession, distribution and manufacturing of drugs; Drug-related offenses which violent behavior such as stealing money to buy drugs or violence against rival drug dealers, are committed; And drug-using lifestyle which is a life orientation with an emphasis on short-term goals supported by illegal activities (Office of National Drug Control Policy).

Will drug crimes be resolved in the future? Most likely not. With so many new developments in drugs, crimes will continuously be committed. The development and use of drugs has skyrocketed from when the use of drugs first began. There is no telling when and if the use of drugs and drug related crime will end. With the creation of new drug laws and drug court, drugs will continue to be a trend throughout the United States as well as other countries. According to author Peter Cohen, “Preparing for the future means that we will have to regulate drug use instead of continuing our Victorian and futile attempts to stamp it out.” We as a country are never going to be able to stop the use and distribution of drugs and the violence that drug related crimes cause; as long as there is always a buyer, there is always going to be a distributer. Cohen goes on to say “as long as drugs are left unregulated, and as long as the issue is a main stage for conservative political bravado tough talk and war mongering, drug policies will not tackle — even marginally — the drug-crime connection. On the contrary, the connection will flourish.”