Substance Abuse and Crime

Question 1

Relationship between drugs and crime

Answer 1

there is a strong link because drugs:

• Disinhibit behavioural controls
• Initiate antisocial thoughts
• Can lead to money-seeking behaviour

Question 2

Drug use common in adolescence (Ontario study)

Answer 2

• alcohol (42%)
• E - cigarettes (23%)
• Cannabis (22%)

Question 3

Harrison Narcotics Act (1914)

Answer 3

Was made to regulate and control the production, importation, distribution, and use of drugs.

Question 4

Volstead Act (1919)

Answer 4

Made to prohibit the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors.

Question 5

Economic Deprivation Theory

Answer 5

(Currie, 1994)

Drug use is a response to poverty related social conditions.

Question 6

Cognitive Association Theory

Answer 6

(Lindsmith, 1968)

Drug addiction derives from negative effects that follow when drug is removed, rather than positive effects of drug itself

Question 7

Social Psychological Theory

Answer 7

Many psychoogical and sociological factors may lwad to drug use.

Ex. Popular culture of drugs, Low self-esteem, hopelessness

Question 8

Tripartite Conceptual Model of Drugs and Crime

Answer 8

(Goldstein, 1985)

Psychopharmacological crime

• individuals become excitable as a direct result of using drugs

Systemic crime

• Drug trafficking leads to violence and crime

Economic compulsive crime

• Crime committed to support expensive drug addiction

Question 9

Tolerence

Answer 9

The decrease in resonse to a drug overtime after repeated use

Question 10

Physical dependance

Answer 10

The changes in your body from not taking a drug, making you dependant on taking the drug

Question 11

Psychological Dependance

Answer 11

Primary: Overwhelming desire to use drugs

Secondary: Expectation of potential with real effects

Question 12

4 categories of psychoactive drugs

Answer 12

Psychedelics: Change in consciousness w/ alterations of reality

Stimulants: Stimulate CNS, increase alertness

Opiate narcotics: sedative and analgesic effect

Sedative hypnotic/depressants: sedate the CNS; reduce anxiety

Question 13

Psychedelics: Marijuana

Answer 13

1. Marijuana

Most common, physical addiction only at very high doses

No causal link to crime

• it might even decrease criminal activity because of its effect of relaxation and decrease in physical activity

Question 14

Psychedelics: LSD (acid)

Answer 14

Liquid produced from acid inside a fungus

• Causes hyperawareness, appreciation of stimuli, hallucinations, and possible psychotic behaviour

Question 15

Psychedelics: Phencyclidine

Answer 15

Illicit drug known for its mind-altering effects.

Wild range of effects such as:

delusions, perceptual distortions, hallucinations, upper effect

Ex. Hyperactivity

Behaviour of users highly unpredictable eg, delusion of superhuman strength, persecution, grandiosity

Question 16

Stimulants: Methamphetamine

Answer 16

High potential for abuse; effects last up to 12 hrs

• Alertness, euphoria, confidence, sex drive, decreases appetite
• Depression, paranoia, violence, anxiety, insomnia, delusions, hallucinations, mood swings

Question 17

Stimulants: MDMA

Answer 17

Also known as ecstasy; Molly

Effects last up to 6 hrs

Desireable effects:

• Euphoria, sense of affection and love, energy “rush”

Adverse affects:

• depression, anxiety, panorama, sleeplessness, increased body temp, kidney or heart failure , altered serotonin
• Exposure for days can alter serotonin for 7 years

Question 18

Stimulants: Cocaine

Answer 18

• 2nd most commonly used drug
• You can snort, smoke, inject
• Physically and psychologically addictive

Desireable effects:

• improvement in mood, alertness, euphoria, sociability, energy and confidence

Undesireable effects:

• Irritability, delirium, panic, hallucinations, aggression, hallucinations psychosis, impotence
• loss of smell. Intestinal gangrene, heart attack, resp failure, strokes‘, seizures, coma

Cocaine + alcohol = more toxic than drug, can result in death

Users are often aggressive or violent, which can lead to crime during dosage

Question 19

Opioids: Heroin

Answer 19

• Addiction in about 23% of drug users
• You can inject, snort, or smoke it

Effects:

• Light sleep with vivid dreams, sublime contentment, analgesia (absence of pain)

High doses produce sleep not violence

Lasts 5-8 hours

Question 20

Opioids: Oxycontin and Vicodin

Answer 20

Used for pain control because of their analgesic effects

Effects similar to heroin

Linked to an increase in theft, pharmaceutical robberies

Question 21

Sedative hypnotic/depressants: Ketamine (Special K)

Answer 21

Known as the date rape drug “K-Hole”

Liquids, powder, or tablets

Effects:

• pleasant feeling of floating, club drug

**used as anaesthetic in ERs, high doses produce coma, amnesia

Question 22

Sedative hypnotic/depressants: GHB (Liquid X)

Answer 22

Powerful, fast acting, pleasure-enhancing, feeling of intoxication

• Lasts up to 6 hours

Side effects:

• Drowsiness, vommitting, hallucinations, seizures, etc.

Anterograde amnesia: Often used in date rape and sexual assault

Question 23

Amnesia

Answer 23

Loss of memories, such as facts, information, and experiences

Anterograde: Individuals are unable to form new memories following the onset of the condition

Question 24

Sedative hypnotic/depressants: Rohypnol (Roofies)

Answer 24

Effects begin 15 minutes after, can last up to 12 hours

Effects:

muscle relaxation, sedative, fearlessness

• High dosage cause loss of muscle control, loss of consciousness

Can cause amnigraded amnesia when combined with alcohol

Question 25

Sedative hypnotic/depressants: Alcohol

Answer 25

1 most commonly abused substance: 51% of Americans

Can produce a strong dependance

responsible for more deaths than all other drugs combined

Linked to violent crime: 1/3 of all violent offenders were drinking at the time