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Early Substance Use and Its Impact on Adult Offender Alcohol and Drug Problems

NCJ Number
176406
Author(s)
S A Vanderburg; J R Weekes; W A Millson
Date Published
1998
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The link between substance abuse and offending is widely acknowledged and has been of considerable interest to both researchers and correctional agencies; 55 percent of Federal offenders in Canada reported that they were under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both on the day they committed the offense for which they were incarcerated.
Abstract
The study sample included 8,850 male offenders in Canadian correctional institutions who completed the Computerized Lifestyle Assessment Instrument as part of their assessment after admission to an institution. The average offender age at the time of the assessment was 30.7 years. Of the offenders, 48 percent reported no alcohol problems, 36.4 percent reported low-level alcohol problems, 8.7 percent reported intermediate-level alcohol problems, and 6.9 reported severe alcohol problems. The Drug Abuse Screening Test further indicated that 51 percent of offenders had no drug problems, 20.2 percent had low-level drug problems, 12.9 percent had intermediate-level drug problems, and 15.9 percent had severe drug problems. To determine the overall level of alcohol and drug problems, offenders were categorized according to the highest level of alcohol or drug problem they reported. Thirty-one percent of offenders reported no substance abuse problems, 32 percent reported low-level problems, 17 percent reported intermediate-level problems, and 20 percent reported severe problems. The average age at which offenders first tried alcohol was 14 years; 84 percent of those who had tried alcohol said they had their first drink by 18 years of age. About 75 percent of offenders who tried drugs before 18 years of age used drugs regularly. With regard to crime, about 58 percent of the overall sample reported they had been involved in illegal activities before 18 years of age. There was a strong relationship between the age at which offenders first tried alcohol and the severity of their adult alcohol problems. About 51 percent of offenders who first tried drugs during their preteen years developed intermediate to severe drug problems as adults, as did 37.7 percent of those who first tried drugs as teenagers. About 64 percent of offenders who used drugs regularly as preteens developed intermediate to severe drug problems by the time they reached adulthood, as did 52 percent of offenders who used drugs regularly as teenagers. The long-term nature of offender substance abuse problems is discussed. 7 references and 2 figures