The Basics of Drugs

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The Basics of Drugs

• Neurology and Chemistry
• Neurons are nerve cells
• Neurons send electrical impulses
• Different body parts
• Different cells
• Neurons determine
• Autonomic functions
• Voluntary functions

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The Basics of Drugs (2)

• Neurons release chemicals called
• Neurotransmitters
• Neurotransmitters act on specific sites called
• Receptors
• Specific Neurotransmitters fit into specific
  receptors (key in lock)

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The Basics of Drugs (3)

• The relationship between transmitter and receptor
  is relative, not specific!
• The better the fit the greater the stimulation
• Transmitter/Receptor Affinity
• High Affinity Strong Effect
• Low Affinity Weak Effect

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The Basics of Drugs (4)

• Psychoactive Drugs
• Cross the blood-brain barrier
• No blood-brain barrier crossing, no psychoactive
  effect
• Different routes of administration result in
  different levels of blood-brain cross over

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The Basics of Drug Pharmacology

• All drugs have multiple effects
• Main effects the intended result of a drug
• Side effects the effects of the drug that are
  not intended
• Effect Dose (ED) is the amount of a drug needed
  to produce the intended effect
• ED50 is the amount needed to produce the effect
  in 50 of a species
• ED100 the amount needed for 100 of the
  population

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The Basics of Drug Pharmacology (2)

• Toxicity refers to the drugs ability to kill
  the organism
• Cause harm to one or more of the organs in an
  organism
• Lethal Dose (LD) the amount need to kill an
  organism
• LD50 kill 50 of the population
• LD100 kill 100

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The Basics of Drug Pharmacology (3)

• Drug Margin of Safety
• How far apart is the ED from the LD for a given
  drug?
• Barbiturates have a low margin of safety
• Marijuana has a high margin of safety
• Multiple Drugs Complicate
• Additive greater effect
• Antagonistic cancel effect
• Synergy multiply effect

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Drug Classifications

• Stimulants methamphetamines, amphetamines
  (Dexedrine), cocaine, caffeine, Ritalin, nicotine
• Antidepressants Prozac, Zoloft, Lithium
• Sedatives Barbiturates, Quaalude, Valium
• Hallucinogens LSD, mescaline, peyote, MDMA
  (ecstasy), psilocybin
• Analgesics opiates (opium, morphine, heroin,
  codeine), opioids (methadone,, Demerol, Darvon)
  non-narcotic - Tylenol, ibuprofen, aspirin
• Cannabis

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Three Major Neurotransmitters

• Serotonin
• Effects sleep, mood, and dreams - is increased by
  the use of Methamphetamine
• Dopamine
• Effects motor movement, is involved in pleasure
  and is related to psychosis
• Norepinephrine
• Effects heart rate, blood pressure, sweating,
• Dilates pupil, lungs and constricts blood vessels

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Addiction

• No universally accept definition
• Four common definitions in competition for
  dominance
• Quantity and frequency definition
• Psychological dependence definition
• Physical dependence definition
• Life problems definition
• Brain Injury definition

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Quantity and Frequency Definition of Addiction

• Once per week
• 3-5 times per week
• Everyday Use
• Problems
• Individual factors influence the effects based on
  quantity (Habituation, age, weight, etc.)
• Binge users dont fit into the definition
• Yearly average may be low but, the pattern of use
  reveals excessive amounts in short periods of
  time

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Psychological Dependence Definition of Addiction

• Experience psychological discomfort as a
  withdrawal symptom
• Do you use after a bad time?
• Do your friends use less than you?
• Problems
• Moderate users could also answer yes to many of
  the questions
• Definition is very subjective
• Difference between habit and dependence?

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Physical Dependence Definition of Addiction

• Clear physical withdrawal symptoms must be
  present
• Shakes
• Cramps
• Problems
• Too restrictive to be useful
• Problem abusers are not included

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Life-ProblemsDefinition of Addiction

• Medical problems (e.g. liver)
• Family problems (divorce, abuse)
• Career problems (loss of job, no promotion)
• Criminal Justice problems (arrests, convictions)
• Problems
• Sub-culture/ cultural definitions of problems
• Medical problems are not straight per dose
  outcomes (not all develop a common medical
  problem)

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Brain Injury Definition

• Both neurotransmitters and receivers
• Damaged so that only the active chemical will
  trigger the release of dopamine (or serotonin, or
  norepinephrine)
• Only the chemical can generate happiness
• Thus, there is no way to scare someone out of
  addiction
• Similar to if you breath I am going to hurt
  you.
• What things make you really happy?
• Research shows that most injuries begin to heal
  after 8 or 9 month of abstinence
• Some drug require longer periods of abstinence to
  begin healing

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Chronic use depletes dopamine and is toxic to the
neuron.
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HOW DRUGS WORK

• Multidimensional
• Economic
• Political
• Pharmacological
• Psychological
• Sociological

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Drugs A Symbolic Phenomena

• Drug Effect are Contingent
• Pharmacology represents potential effects
• Potential effects are dependent on the social
  context
• 1970s Reports on the effects of THC
• Lab animal studies
• Real life experience

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The Basics of Drug Pharmacology (4)

• Physical Tolerance
• Certain quantity of drug
• Extended period of time
• Diminished effects
• Behavioral Tolerance
• Experience user
• Learns the effects
• Compensates for effects
• Reverse Tolerance
• Over time
• Users become more sensitive to the effects
• Cross Tolerance
• Tolerance to a drug in one category
• General tolerance to other drugs in the category

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Drug Effects/Objective and Subjective

• Factors Influencing Drug Effects
• Identity
• Dose
• Potency (purity)
• Drug mixing
• Route of administration
• Habituation

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Identity

• What is actually in the drug?
• Bogus substances
• Is the drug as advertised?
• Regular mushrooms as psilocybin
• Oregano as pot

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Dose

• What is the amount of the drug that has been
  taken?
• Some dose levels will have no effects on anyone
• Some dose levels can have negative effects no
  matter what the drug

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Potency and Purity

• Potency is the quantity of drug that will produce
  a given effect
• Potency varies between drugs, but also within the
  same drug
• Marijuana with 1 THC verses 10-12
• Alcohol 4-5 verses 10-12
• Purity is the percent of the active ingredient
  present
• Cocaine varies in purity from 20 to 50 or more
  percent purity
• Most drugs are stepped on, cut with non active
  fillers

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Mixing

• Many (most) people rarely take one drug at a time
• Which drugs are mixed can have a powerful effect
  on the effect
• John Belushi mixed cocaine and heroin in an
  injection
• To understand drug effects something must be
  known about interaction effects (additive,
  multiplier, or synergy)

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Administration Route

• In general the fast the route to the brain the
  stronger the effect of the drug
• Smoking a drug is the fastest route
• All the bodies blood passes through the lungs
  every minute
• Injecting a drug causes the drug to be mixed with
  (diluted) non drugged blood

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Habituation

• How accustomed is the user to the drug?
• The tolerance factor decreases the drug effect
• Experienced drinkers can handle much more alcohol
  and still act straight than non-experienced
  drinkers

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Set and Setting

• Set refers to the psychic, mental state of the
  user
• Expectations
• Mood
• Setting refers to the social and physical
  environment of the drug use
• Micro level living room, or party
• Macro level culture, normative culture

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DRUGS AS SOCIAL

• Drug taking is close to cultural universal
• 2-3 million prescription/year
• Average 37.50/each
• 15 billion in over counter sales/year
• 52 drink alcohol
• 29 smoke tobacco
• 150 billion in illegal drug sales
• 65 million have tried marijuana

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What is a Drug?

• Chemical Properties
• Definable Biological Effect
• One Common Definition
• Any substance that causes or creates significant
  psychological or physiological changes in the
  body.
• Would include vitamin C, chocolate, and car
  exhaust

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What is a Drug?

• The term drug is a social construction
• Does not mean, imaginary effects
• Does not mean, no objective effects
• Does not mean, calling something a drug will make
  it a drug
• Definitions change over time and place
• Alcohol, tobacco, cocaine

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Drug Definition Categories

• Medical Substances used in connection with
  healing the body or mind
• Penicillin, aspirin, morphine, lithium
• Psychoactive Substances used in connection with
  altering the state of consciousness
• LSD, alcohol, amphetamine, Salvia
• Illegal Substances that have been defined as
  against the law for the general public by a
  political authority
• marijuana, heroin
• Public Substances the general population thinks
  of as a drug.
• Crack, ice, ecstasy

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What is Drug Abuse?

• A Disease?
• A Medical Pathology?
• A Sickness?
• There is an implication that abuse invariably
  involves observable physical damage
• Most definition do not include physical or mental
  harm

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Drug Abuse

• Use of a psychoactive substance in a manner that
  is illegal or outside medical practice.
• or
• Use of a drug that is outside the legally
  accepted list of substances. Using illegal drugs
  is abuse.

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Drug Abuse (2)

• In 1973 the National Commission on Marijuana and
  Drug Abuse recommended
• The term drug abuse be deleted from official
  pronouncements and public policy dialogue. The
  term has no functional utility and has become no
  more than an arbitrary codeword for that drug use
  which is presently considered wrong.

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Drug Abuse (3)

• For the class purpose
• Abuse will refer to the use of a substance (legal
  or illegal) in a way that causes clear physical
  or mental harm.
• Does not include getting into trouble while using
  a drug
• But, does include an inability to function on
  important social levels
• Dropping out of school
• Getting fired from work
• Domestic upheaval

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Drug Use as a Social Problem

• Objective level of understanding
• A phenomenon that creates societal harm or damage
• Causes death
• Social deterioration
• Impairs quality of life
• The greater the number of people involved the
  more important the social problem.

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Drug Use as a Social Problem (2)

• Subjective level of understanding
• Social problems do not exist in an objective way.
  They are not like trees!
• Social problems are constructed through social
  definitions
• Phenomenon become social problems through a four
  stage process
• Agitation
• Legitimation
• Legislation
• Re-emergence

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Drug Use as a Social Problem (3)

• Combining the objective and subjective levels of
  social problems
• Most social problems should be considered from
  both perspectives
• Objective Tobacco kills more than other drugs
• Subjective
• Dose-for-dose basis
• Years of life lost
• Acute v. Combined effect

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Drug Panic

• Several key factors are generally involved in
  constructing a drug panic
• Explosion of a new evil drug (Crack in 1985)
• Deaths of notable people (Len Bias Crack
  Babies)
• Media coverage (placement of stories in coverage)
• Public concern (Independent of objective numbers)
• Political expression (Leaders take advantage of
  issue)
• Prominent spokesperson (Nancy Reagan)

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The Process of Criminalization

• What is a Crime?
• A behavior that has been formally prohibited by a
  political authority.
• Who is a Criminal?
• Those who have been labeled as criminal by a
  political authority (Judge).
• Criminalization has an objective and subjective
  component
• Objectively Behavior is illegal based on the
  potential extent of harm to society.
• Subjectively Behavior is illegal based on the
  extent that they interfere with the interests of
  the influential.

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Criminalization of Drugs

• Objectivist See drug legislation as a matter of
  public health and safety
• Subjectivists See drug legislation as a matter
  of cultural, political, and economic concerns

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Criminalization of Drugs (2)

• Most drug legislation in the 20th century was
  motivated by political, moral, and economic
  reasons, rather than genuine concern for public
  health.
• Cocaine 1914 from fear that blacks using cocaine
  committed violent acts
• Alcohol 1919 from fear that poor immigrant
  Catholics using alcohol were committing violent
  acts
• Marijuana 1933 from fear that Mexicans using
  marijuana committed violent acts
• The more poor the users of a drug are perceived
  to be the more likely the passing of legislation
  against the use of the drug.

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Sex and Drug Use

• Does drug use represent a special problem for
  women?
• Women value love relationships more than men
• Drugs interfere with love oriented relationships
• Women, more often than men, are responsible for
  child rearing
• Women are responsible for fetal health
• Drug addiction frequently represents unique
  problems for women.

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Sex and Drug Use (2)

• Drug use is a gendered phenomenon
• Stigmatization is greater for women than men
• Prostitution is a faster way of making money than
  most other options available to women
• Distribution is usually controlled by men, while
  women are almost as likely to use as men
• Many men conceptualize sex as exploitation the
  sex for drugs transaction degrades women, but
  leaves men's identity intact

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Sex and Drug Use (3)

• The odds of male to female transmission of AIDS
  is 10 times greater than the likelihood of female
  to male transmission
• Drug use is troubling for mother who are held
  responsible for the fate of the fetus they carry
• Society arrests mother who use crack, but no
  punishment has been devise for alcohol use
• Most treatment programs are designed for men
• Peer confrontation techniques provoke poor
  responses from women
• Some will not even admit women

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Theories of Drug Use

• Biological Theories
• Genetic Factor
• A gene or combination of genes influences the
  specific biological mechanism for substance
  abuses
• Animals can be breed to prefer alcohol over other
  beverages
• No researcher asserts that genetic factors are
  the only, or even principle factor in compulsive
  drinking

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Biological Theories (2)

• Metabolic Imbalance
• Some inability or over-ability to metabolize
  specific chemicals produces a craving for the
  drug
• Heroin addicts physiology craves opiates the same
  way that diabetics crave insulin
• No biological mechanism has been discovered
• No proposed hormonal imbalance has been identified

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Psychological Theories

• Positive Reinforcement
• The euphoria generated by the drug causes the
  user to want to repeat the use experience.
• The more positive the drug experience, the
  greater the tendency to re-use the drug.
• Addiction is not necessary for continued (or
  continuous) use of the drug.
• A sufficient history of reinforcement will compel
  a high rate of use in the drug user.
• Addiction is simply the end point along the
  continuum of use. (Euphoria Seekers)

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Psychological Theories (2)

• Negative Reinforcement
• The user does drugs to avoid or seek relief from
  pain (physical or mental is irrelevant).
• Therefore, drug use is rewarding because it
  relieves the painful experience.
• If the drug user reaches a point on the continuum
  of use where dependency is reached, continued use
  results to avoid the pain of withdrawal.
• In the dependency (or addiction) condition the
  drug user is attempting to feel normal by doing
  the drug.

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Psychological Theories (3)

• Inadequate Personality Theory
• The theory holds that the user has a defective or
  inadequate personality, so drug use is an attempt
  to escape the reality of a defective personality.
  
• Because the person has an inadequate personality
  their peers reject them.
• Drug use is a crutch that helps the person
  avoid the life problems caused by an inadequate
  personality (immaturity or lack of social
  skills).
• Peer rejection causes the user to continue drug
  use and opens a new deviant peer group where the
  user can have intimate friends.

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Psychological Theories (4)

• Problem Behavior Proneness
• The individual has a tendency to be
  unconventional and gravitates toward risk taking
  behavior.
• Risk taking behavior exist on a low-to-high
  continuum
• Moderate risk taking has been associated with
  inventors, scientists, etc.
• Characterized by high levels of risk taking and a
  tendency toward life transition experiences.

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Sociological Theories

• Anomie Theory
• Anomie exists, whenever there is a discrepancy (a
  block) between the socially approved goals for
  citizens and the socially approved methods of
  achieving those goals.
• There are only five behavioral choices available
  
• Conform - continue the approved method and
  potentially accept defeat.
• Innovate - create a new method to achieve the
  socially approved goal.
• Retreat reject the approved goal and the
  approved method and retreat within the self.
• Ritual continue with the approved method of
  achievement while losing touch with the approved
  goal of the behavior.
• Rebel create new goals and new methods for
  achievement and encourage others to follow.

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Anomie Theory cont.

• All people are faced with situations where our
  behavior does not lead to the desired goal.
• The feeling of blocked achievement is anomie and
  each of us chooses all five behavioral choices
  depending on the given situation.
• We may choose to conform in one instance and
  rebel in another. In the world of drug use, a
  retreatist response to anomie represents the drug
  user (and addict), and the drug dealer represents
  the innovative response.
• The greater the feeling blockage for achievement
  in society, the greater the drug use.

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Sociological Theories (2)

• Social Control Theory
• Given the natural state, all people would engage
  in deviant behavior.
• What contains the deviant behavior is social
  control.
• Most people do not engage in criminal behavior
  because of strong bonds with social institutions.
  
• If the bonds are weak, we are released from
  societys rules and we are free to deviate.

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Social Control Theory cont.

• It is not the ties to the drug user world that
  causes drug use, but the lack of ties to the
  mainstream culture that frees them to use drugs.
  
• The more attached we are to conventional society,
  the less likely we are to engage in behavior that
  violates the cultural norms for behavior.
• The more attached we are to parents, teachers,
  clergy, employers, etc. the less likely we are to
  use drugs.

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Sociological Theories (3)

• Social Learning Theory
• The use and abuse is the product of exposure to
  groups in which drug use is rewarded.
• The groups provide the user (or non user) with
  social environments that generate definitions,
  role models, and social reinforcements for the
  use (or abstinence) of drugs.
• By observing others in the group use the drug we
  learn how to act under the influence, how the
  group rewards the behavior (i.e. laughing), and
  how to define the experience (i.e. fun).

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Social Learning Theory cont.

• We learn drinking alcohol behavior by watching
  people we respect (role models) drink and seeing
  how they act while drinking,
• Observing rewards others give the person for
  drinking.
• Observing how to define the behavior of drinking.
  
• The same process is in play with illegal drugs.
• Differential exposure to drug using groups
  teaches the novice how to use and experience the
  use of the drug.

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Sociological Theories (4)

• Subculture Theory (Differential Association)
• Involvement with a particular social group with
  attitudes favorable to drug use promotes drug
  use.
• Involvement in a group with negative attitudes
  toward drug use tend to discourage drug use.
• The characteristics of the individual count for
  nothing in the absence of social circles whose
  members explain use to the novice, supply the
  drug, and provide role models.

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Subculture Theory (Differential Association)
cont.

• The subculture theory holds that the use of the
  drug causes motives to continue the use.
• The opposite of other theories that hold the
  individual motives lead to drug use.
• Instead the person learns the necessary
  justifications and explanations that provide the
  motivations for further use.

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Sociological Theories (5)

• Selective Interaction Theory
• People do not randomly fall into circles of drug
  users they are attracted to those groups because
  they share compatible norms and values with the
  drug users.
• The more an adolescent is isolated from the
  parental group, the more involved they become
  with the peer subculture.
• There is a competition among peers to attain
  status and prestige.
• Higher status is granted in part as a consequence
  of engaging in activities and holding values that
  depart significantly from parental demands and
  expectations.

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Selective Interaction Theory cont.

• The theory predicts the follow sequence of drug
  use for adolescents.
• The stages are a necessary, but not sufficient
  condition for the progression from lower to more
  serious drugs.
• Stages of Adolescent Drug Use
• 1. Beer and wine
• 2. Cigarettes or liquor
• 3. Marijuana
• 4. Other illegal drugs

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Sociological Theories (6)

• Conflict Theory
• Conflict theory applies exclusively to the heavy,
  chronic of drugs by members of a society.
• The basic principle of the theory is that heavy
  use of drugs is strongly related to social class,
  income, power, and neighborhood.

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Conflict Theory cont.

• Four factors combine to promote drug abuse in
  communities
• Poor economic opportunities, especially for
  unskilled labor.
• Decreasing relative income of the neighborhood in
  comparison to other surrounding neighborhoods.
• Community disorganization and general decline
  (denoted by neighborhood leaders becoming
  adversaries of city hall instead of allies).
• A general sense of hopelessness and resignation
  among the people of the neighborhood.

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Conflict Theory cont.

• There is a pyramid of drug use, with many
  experimental users at the bottom, fewer
  occasional users in the middle and small number
  of heavy chronic users at the top.
• Some members of all social classes abuse drugs,
  but those members at the bottom of the social
  class are more likely to do so.
• To deny the basic fact of drug use patterns in
  America is to misunderstand one of the basic
  facts of human behavior social conditions
  influence human behavior.

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The Extent of Drug Use

• Two Dimensions Define Drug Use Legal Status and
  Goal
• Legal Status
• Some drugs are against the law
• Use, possession, and sale is illegal
• Some drugs are legal
• Over-the-counter psychoactive drugs alcohol,
  etc.
• Prescription drugs

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The Extent of Drug Use (2)

• The second dimension of drug use is
• The Goal
• Recreational use
• The use of a drug as an end in itself
• The goal is to get high, have fun, experience
• Instrumental use
• The use of the drug to achieve an end result
• The goal is to achieve something socially
  acceptable

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Types of Drug Use

• LEGAL STATUS
• Legal Illegal

Goal
Instrumental
Recreational
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Legal Instrumental

• Two Principle Forms
• Over-the Counter
• Tylenol
• Sominex (sleeping pill)
• Allerest (antihistamine)
• Pharmaceutical (called legend drugs)
• Many are psychoactive
• Most do not stay confined to medical use
• For example, in the 60s nasal inhalers became
  Speed Balls
• Today Ritalin is sold on the street for
  instrumental and recreational use

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Legal Recreational

• Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, Salvia divinorum
• The drugs are consumed for a desired psychic
  state
• Of course not every use, every time is
  necessarily for the buzz

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Illegal Instrumental

• Taking illegal drugs for some instrumental
  purpose that society approves
• Includes taking drugs without a prescription
• The goals vary
• Drive the truck all night
• Study for exam

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Illegal Recreational

• More money is spent on illegal drugs in the U.S.
  than anywhere else on earth
• Americans consume 60 of the worlds illegal drugs
• 80 of the illegal drug users in American
  consume marijuana
• About 2 of Americans have used prescription
  drugs in an illicit manner (to get high)

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Trends in Drug Use

• Illicit drug use rose throughout the 70s
• Illicit drug use peaked in the early 80s
• There has been a significant decline in use
  throughout the late 80s and 90s
• The one exception is marijuana use which began to
  rise in the mid 90s

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Trends in Drug Use (2)

• Attitudes about drug use have matched the use
  trends, however
• Attitudes toward illegal drug use have generally
  become more favorable since the 90s
• Has the trend toward more favorable attitudes
  continued?
• What ever the answer drug use is vastly higher
  today than at anytime in the 1960s

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Drug Death

• Three drugs account for the majority of emergency
  room drug related admittance
• Cocaine
• Alcohol
• Heroin/morphine

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Drugs, Crime, and Violence

• Crime refers to any behavior that has been
  formally prohibited by a political authority.
• Criminal behavior is considered to be socially
  disruptive
• Criminal behavior is too dangerous to be trusted
  to socialization alone for adequate prohibition.

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Crime

• There are three Basic Categories.
• Street Crime - General crime committed by
  individuals.
• Occupational Crime Job related crime committed
  by individuals.
• Corporate Crime Crime committed by corporate
  organizations, not individuals.

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Street Crime

• Essentially entails the F.B.I.s list of the
  Eight Index Crimes
• Murder
• Aggravated Assault
• Robbery
• Burglary
• Larceny
• Auto Theft
• Arson
• Rape

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Violence

• Aggressive behavior that involves
• Threat of Force
• Force
• Threat of Physical Harm
• Physical Harm
• Property Crimes are crimes against property not
  people
• Most people who commit property crimes do not
  commit violent crimes
• However, most people who commit violent crimes
  also commit property crimes

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The Drug Crime Relationship

• In 1930s the Federal Bureau of Narcotics
  released statements about how marijuana use
  caused crime and violence
• Anecdotal evidence Victor Licata
• Chopped family to pieces after smoking marijuana
• The FBN did not mention that Vic was a
  schizophrenic

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The Drug Crime Relationship (2)

• Criteria of causation
• Time Order Sequence
• Correlation Evidence
• Third Variable Explanation

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The Drug Crime Relationship (3)

• False Criteria
• Anecdote
• Correlation
• Guilt by association personal connection

84
Alcohol and Violence

• Alcohol is by far the drug most implicated in
  violent crime
• More individuals who commit violent crime are
  under the influence of alcohol than any other
  single drug
• Between 50 and 70 of all murders are committed
  under the influence of alcohol
• Beyond murder
• 53 of drowning death
• 46 of fire death
• 41 of fall deaths
• 38 of driving death (driver)
• 27 of pedestrian death

85
Alcohol and Violence

• Three theoretical explanations
• Disinhibition
• Aggressive centers of the brain are stimulated
• Risk centers of the brain are negatively effected

86
Heroin and Violent Crime

• HISTORICALLY..
• Evidence of causal connection (anecdotal and
  correlational)
• Heroin addicts tend to commit instrumental crime
• Crime for the goal of obtaining money
• Few researches support violence connection
• Remove the economic motivation and the connection
  between heroin and crime disappears

87
Heroin and Violent Crime (2)

• In the 70s research began to show high levels of
  violence and violent death among heroin users
• Withdrawal initiates irritability and discomfort
• Robbery began to be viewed as a violent crime
• Heroin use began to be a very violent subculture
• Poly use and addiction became common
• Heroin and violent crime began to change in the
  90s
• Fewer heroin addicts and more crack uses on the
  street

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Cocaine and Violent Crime

• Cocaine is a stimulant
• A greater stimulant effect on the brain than
  heroin logically thought to be more involved in
  violent behavior
• Cocaine is strongly related to victim and
  perpetrators of violent crime
• An L.A. study found 20 of victims with cocaine
  in their body
• A N.Y.C. study found 84 of drug-related
  homicides involved cocaine

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Cocaine and Violent Crime (2)

• Does cocaine cause violent behavior?
• Murders usually involved the seller not the user
• Violence is a big part of cocaine trade for four
  reasons
• Violent nature of illegal drug trade
• SES factors involved
• Individuals who are involved (especially crack)
• The neighborhoods of trade

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Cocaine and Violent Crime (3)

• The World of Selling Cocaine
• The Cocaine and Crack Trade
• Illegal drugs all have some violent element
• Drugs get stolen
• Money gets stolen
• Territory is invaded
• The dealer cant go to the police
• Dealers must take action on their own

91
Cocaine World

• Goldstein, et al. 1991
• Studied 300 cocaine users for 8 weeks
• Divided sample into
• Nonusers (former users)
• Small users (less than 34 PER day)
• Big users (more than 34)

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Cocaine World (2)

• 55 of men and 59 of women involved in at least
  one violent episode
• Most men were perpetrators
• Robbery
• Alcohol not cocaine was the drug most related to
  the episode
• Most women were victims
• Domestic disputes
• Friends, family, and acquaintances
• Alcohol not cocaine was the drug most related to
  the episode

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Drug Use, Predatory Crime and Violence

• The relationship between drug use and crime is
  very strong
• Averages are 375 crimes per year for heroin users
• 320 crimes per year for Big cocaine users
• BUT addicts who recover do not stop committing
  crime
• Addiction did not cause the addict to commit
  crime
• By the time a person becomes addicted they
  already have an established criminal record
• However, Big use does increase the chances of
  criminal behavior