Substance Abuse Flashcards
What is the definition of substance abuse?
Guppy, 2004
- recurrent substance use that results in failure to fulfil major role obligations
- recurrent use in risky situation
- recurrent substance-related legal problems
- continued use despite persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems
How are drugs present in culture?
Drugs are present in some form in nearly all cultures in the world.
Complex social and political arguments exist regarding legality and illegality.
Pharmacy versus Street.
Legalised (taxed) versus Illegal.
On average, how much is spent on tobacco in the UK every year?
In 2011, the total amount spent on tobacco ranges from £15 billion to £18 billion.
What five types of drugs are there?
- Stimulants
e. g. cocaine - Depressants
e. g. cannabis - Hallucinogens
e. g. LSD - Analgesics (relieve pain)
e. g. opium/heroin - Alcohol
When did the government classify drugs, and into what categories?
The government classified drugs in 1971, with the Misuse of Drugs Act.
This was into;
Class A
Class B
Class C
How do we measure the extent of drug use?
BCS and DoH research.
High level of drug use in offenders compared to the general population (self-report) 80%.
What are the four problems of drug misuse?
Addiction and dependence.
Health problems relating to injections.
Drug related deaths.
Economic and social issues.
(3% of people depend on cannabis)
(1565 deaths in 2002 due to drug misuse)
What is the difference between Drug Related Offences and Drug Related Crime?
Drug Related Offences
- importation, exportation, supply, offer to supply, intent, possession
- alcohol offences = inappropriate supply/consumption
Drug Related Crime
- not precisely defined
- crime caused by drug use (crimes to finance drug use, offences as part of drug market or supply)
What is the consequence of Drug Related Offences?
Possession:
- Class A = up to 7 years
- Class B = up to 5 years
- Class C = up to 2 years
Intent to supply and dealing
- Class A = up to life
- Class B & C = up to 14 years
ALL OF THE ABOVE INCLUDE AND/OR AN UNLIMITED FINE
What is the link between drugs and crime?
1) drugs might cause crime
2) crime might cause drug use
3) drug use and criminal behaviour may be caused by a third variable
4) drugs and crime not causally linked but co-exist
What is the Economic Necessity theory?
The theory states crime is committed in order to finance drug use.
What is the Hedonistic Pursuits theory?
The theory states that crime provides surplus funds that can be spent on leisure activities.
Is drug use therefore a statistical association to crime or a causal connection?
Statistical association.
This is because there is an association between crime and drug use, however we cannot determine whether drugs are correlated, determinants of crime or contributing factors.
What are White’s (1990) common connection models?
‘drug-use-causes-crime- model
‘crime-causes-drug-use- model
‘reciprocal’ model
- bi-directional
‘common-cause’ model
- common third variable
‘coincidence’ model
- no clear connection
How does the ‘drug use causes crime’ model, explain crime?
Psychopharacological explanations;
- cause direct effect (linked with violent drime due to neuro-chemical change)
- paired with external variable to cause an indirect effect (social/environmental)
Economical Explanations;
- income generating crime
- enslavement/economic necessity model (Goldstein 1985)
- addiction then crime
- links with property crime
Drug Lifestyle;
- systematic explanations, causal/non-causal
- drug lifestyles linked with violence (territory, assaults, robberies, informer eliminating, punishment)
(Reiss 1993 - systematic crime - arises out of drug markets and drug distribution networks)
- organisational crime
- transaction related crime
- 3rd party related crime
- secondary forms
How does the ‘crime causes drug misuse’ model explain crime?
Subcultural Theory
- desire for status leads to crime
Situational Control Theory
- rational choice theory e.g.
Self-Medication
- dual diagnosis with mental misorders
Psychopharmacological;
- chemical recreation (celebration of crime) (or e.g. footballers and alcohol)
- crime can provide motivation and means
- use of drugs in committing a crime
Economic;
- surplus funds spent on drugs
- conductive to drug use (working periodically, partying between jobs, being unmarried, geographic)
How does the reciprocal model explain criminality?
Bi-directional model
Direction moderated by opportunity and need
May change throughout career.
How does the common cause model explain criminality?
Psychological;
- Distal causes = factors that predispose people to act on certain ways
- Proximal causes = type of person to commit crime also type of person to take drugs, satisfy hedonistic desire for danger, risk etc
Personality Traits
- Big 5
- Offenders & substance users similar traits
Personality Disorders
- antisocial
- narcissistic
- borderline
Environmental;
- physical and situational factors at time
- social disorganisation theory
- social exclusion/disadvantage
Social;
- peer pressure
- cultural factors (e.g. street culture)
How does the coincidence model explain criminality?
Not causally related, co-exist with conjunctive factors in same situation.
Common cause have a third variable e.g. setting of drug use.
Conjunctive factors don’t determine probability.
What does research suggest about substance abuse in young offenders?
293 YOT clients.
- 85% used cannabis, alcohol, tobacco
- 20% used heroin or crack cocaine
- socially acceptable drugs predicted offending
- addictive type drugs associated with shop lifting
- there were also factors predicting both substance abuse and offending e.g. life difficulties, disliking/exclusion from school
- lacking positive coping mechanisms
What interventions are there for substance abuse?
Treatment - traditional medicine, social/psychological programmes
Self-referral or medical/professional referral
Primary aid of treating their drug use
What four treatment programmes exist?
Methadone treatment
- replaces opium with similar effects
- for withdrawal/maintenance
- effective at reducing criminal behaviour
Heroin treatment
- not common - prescribed opiate
- stabilise drug dependence
- effective at reducing offending
Therapeutic communities
- drug-free residential programmes - peer influence and group processes
- assimilate the norms and learn effective social skills
- influence of attitudes/ perceptions and behaviour
Psychosocial approaches
- counselling, CBT, family therapy
- effective than comparisons at reducing criminal behaviour
What criminal justice programmes are in place?
Drug Testing
- common as part of community penalty
- deterrent to future drug use and criminal activity
- mixed effectiveness
Probation and Parole Supervision
- court orders - drug free
- effective in reducing criminal behaviour
What is the Drug Interventions Programme?
Introduced in 2003
- to develop and integrate measures for directing adult drug-misuse offenders out of crime, into drug treatment
- multi agency
- tough choices intro in 2006 (testing on arrest, initial assessment, restriction on bail)
