Drugs-Crime Connection

There is undoubtedly a strong relationship between drugs and crime. Drugs are heavily implicated in a wide variety and large volume of criminal activity, although the nature of the relationship is somewhat complicated. The links between drugs and criminal behavior are manifold, and a number of theories exist that attempt to explain different aspects of the relationship. Evidence suggests that those who use drugs are generally more involved in (other) criminal activity than the non-drug using population; that those who are involved in (other) crime are more likely to use drugs than the general population; and that drug markets often overlap with, and even necessitate, other types of criminal behavior. The relationship between drugs and crime varies, with different drugs (legal and illegal) being more closely related to different types of criminal activity.

The drugs-crime connection manifests itself on a number of different levels. We can draw an initial distinction between drug crimes and drug-related crimes. Drug crimes are those crimes where the presence of a particular outlawed substance is a defining element of the offense. This may include possession or use of certain proscribed substances, drug supply (including importation and exportation), and drug production (including the cultivation of certain narcotic plants). Many countries also recognize other drug crimes such as allowing premises to be used for the consumption, distribution or production of illegal drugs, or supplying paraphernalia used in the consumption of drugs.

Drug-related crimes are those crimes that occur in relation to drug use or drug trafficking but are not defined by the involvement of particular substances. We may recognize crimes committed by those under the influence of drugs, or crimes committed in order to fund the purchase of drugs.

There are also various crimes connected to drug distribution and drug markets, including money laundering, bribery and corruption of officials, and crimes related to the control of drug markets (e.g., violence employed to enforce debts or arising out of confrontations between rival drug dealers). Drug trafficking may overlap with other types of trafficking, such as of arms or people, or with other types of organized crime. We may also recognize those crimes that are committed by people who also use drugs, or are otherwise involved in drugs, but that are not directly related to this drug involvement.

Theoretical perspectives on the drugs-crime link are as varied as the nature of the link itself. Theories can be drawn together into three major explanatory models: that drugs cause crime, that crime leads to drug use, and that drug use and crime have a common etiology. Other theories postulate that there is a reciprocal relationship between drug use and crime, that the relationship between drug use and crime is coincidental, and that the drugs-crime connection is exacerbated or even caused by the legal and policy frameworks surrounding the prohibition of drugs.