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Estimating Drug-Crime Relationships

NCJ Number
156251
Journal
International Journal of the Addictions Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: (1973) Pages: 701-721
Author(s)
R W Swezey
Date Published
1973
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Police agencies and drug treatment programs were surveyed using the Drug Abuse Description Questionnaire to gathered information on the estimation of drug-crime relationships, effectiveness indicators of antidrug efforts, and related topics.
Abstract
Usable responses came from 179 of the 378 persons surveyed. The participants made quantitative estimates on topics involving drug abuse and crime for specified time periods, including the most abused drugs, the number of local drug users, characteristics of drug abusers, and effectiveness estimates of techniques such as law enforcement and methadone maintenance. Results revealed that marijuana is the most widely abused drug, followed by amphetamines, opiates, cocaine, and barbiturates. An overwhelming majority of participants believed that drug use caused crime, particularly prostitution, burglary, possession of stolen property, larceny, and robbery. Drug availability was most often mentioned as the most effective predictor of the overall size of the drug problem. Addict counts and drug law arrests were other frequently mentioned indicators. Methadone maintenance and media campaigns were regarded as minimally effective in reducing drug problems; most participants supported strict enforcement of drug laws, as well as drug education. Figures, tables, notes, and 3 references

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