Apart from being the subject of substantial scientific investigation, the relationship between drugs and crime remains a mainstay of fiction and an extensively documented issue due to its repetitive and endless nature. Despite government efforts to curb the production, sale, and consumption, new trends continue to emerge (Stevens, 2008). In a comparative statistics report, 70 percent of male prisoners in the United States had a history of substance abuse, which was 8 percent lower than recorded in Australia (Stevens, 2008). From the percentages, it is possible to infer that there is a positive correlation between drugs and crime, suggesting that an increase in the rate of drug abuse would significantly increase the crime rate. Therefore, this paper seeks to analytically explore the topic of drugs and their relationship to the crime through an evaluation of three peer-reviewed articles along with other articles that highlights the same theme.
The use of drugs is not always illegal; neither does their use nor sale always result in a crime. However, there are three eminent relations between the two entities. First, the instant physical or mental effect triggered by the drug can instigate a state of aggression and increase the chances of crimes such as theft, murder, accidents, or sexual abuse (Phillips, 2012) . In the second instance, lack of the drug can lead to pressing need to acquire it, leading to predatory crimes like robbery or burglary. Thirdly, certain psychoactive drugs are illegal to sell, buy, use, possession, or even produce (Phillips, 2012) . Participating in the latter mentioned activities is rebellion to the law, which is also a crime.
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The burden imposed on society by these crimes cannot be disregarded due to its enormity. When estimated on an annual timeline, the government spends over 193 billion dollars on drug-related crimes ( Gottfredson et al., 2008) . It is not unusual to get reports that revolve around drug handling and drug use in many third world countries. In 2012, the National Association of Drugs Court Professionals revealed that among the 60 percent of victims tested positive for illegal drugs, 50 percent were clinically addicted (Logan, 2018). Different research based on Zahedan Central Prison in Iran showed a vicious cycle between crime, poverty, and addiction (Logan, 2018). For instance, activities such as smuggling, prostitution, and theft aim to fulfill one's needs; therefore, the lack of money leads to life-threatening alternatives.
To limit, manage, and monitor the sale and use of drugs, governments are obligated to enact drug laws, which primarily target the most abused psychoactive drugs. Major drug laws in the United States date back to the 1900s, where drug dealers of cocaine, opium, morphine, heroin, and their derivatives were required to register with the federal government as amended in the Harrison Act of 1994 ( Provine, 2008) . Key amendments known to form the federal enforcement basis include the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, which highlighted five schedules of narcotic drug classification based on the abuse probability and the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which increased penalties for recreational substance abusers.
Even though the government tends to lay much focus on illicit drugs to the extent that the abuse of lawful drugs is rarely pinpointed, a significant percentage of crimes reported are associated with such drugs. For instance, in the commission of crimes, alcohol is often a factor that could result in serious crimes like assault or severe accidents ( MacCoun et al.,2003) . It is ridiculously true that over a million arrests are made on drunk driving than other narcotic drug-related crimes on an annual timeline. How individuals respond to the use of drugs shapes the contours of the drug issue in a given society ( MacCoun et al.,2003) . The tension currently experienced between the criminal law requirements and the public health model of substance use continues to intensify. The underlying policies that render legalization or illegalization of drugs should be re-examined to detach from historical preferences and qualify them in the aspect of their pharmacology or degree of intrinsic harmfulness to an individual and society. Drugs like alcohol remain the most abused drug across all age groups. The resulting consequence has been a continuous trend of criminal activities instigated by the legal drug since excessive alcohol intake is directly associated with serious crimes that entail violence (Sadique, 2005). On the contrary, Cannabis use is rarely associated with criminal activities.
Within the criminal justice framework, the National Institute of justice undertakes the role of alcohol and other drugs research sponsorship to promote effective law enforcement, correction, and court responses to illicit drug sale and unlawful behaviors related to substance and drug abuse ( Gottfredson et al., 2008) . Currently, enforcement practices shift from the criminal justice system to the treatment of problematic drug users, while most of the concerns should be projected towards community safety. A shift in policing priorities is imperative, especially towards new methods that are not only more preventive but also more enduring.
Conclusion
A significant decrease in the drug and substance use population would consequently reduce the number of drug-related crimes. Therefore, to attain the goal, several strategies need to ratified through an integrative effort. Law enforcement agencies require to work coordinatively and eliminate operational barriers that might exist, share resources and information, and establish common goals and priorities across the prevailing spectrum of criminal activities. The government should also empower community policing and encourage positive relations between residents and the police through the Community Policing Services program.
References
Gottfredson, D. C., Kearley, B. W., & Bushway, S. D. (2008). Substance use, drug treatment, and crime: An examination of intra-individual variation in a drug court population. Journal of Drug Issues , 38 (2), 601-630. https://ccjs.umd.edu/sites/ccjs.umd.edu/files/pubs/COMPLIANT-Drug%20Use%2C%20Drug%20Treatment%2C%20and%20Crime.._0.pdf
Logan, C. (2018, January 8). Retrieved from What’s the Relation Between Drugs and Crime?: https://www.simplerecovery.com/whats-the-relation-between-drugs-and-crime/
MacCoun, R., Kilmer, B., & Reuter, P. (2003). Research on drugs-crime linkages: The next generation. Toward a drugs and crime research agenda for the 21st century , 65-95. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/194616c.pdf?referer=www.clickfind.com.au
Phillips, M. D. (2012). Assessing the impact of drug use and drug selling on violent offending in a panel of delinquent youth. Journal of drug issues , 42 (3), 298-316. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177%2F0022042612456017
Provine, D. M. (2008). Unequal under the law: Race in the war on drugs . University of Chicago Press.
Stevens, A. (2008). Weighing up Crime: The Overestimation of Drug-Related Crime. Contemporary Drug Problems, 35(2-3), 265-290. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F009145090803500205
Sadique, K. (2005). The substance of crime: The use of crime science in the reduction of alcohol and drug-related crime. Safer Communities, 4(4), 34-38. DOI:10.1108/17578043200500030
