The Heroin-Related Crime

The relationship between drug use, especially heroin, and criminal behavior has been the subject of continuing debate among social and behavioral scientists, politicians, sociologists, law-enforcement officials, and citizens in Canada. It is true that there is a growing interest in possible correlations and consequences of the heroin-crime relationship, but especially on potential remedies. The possible key solution to this all-embracing social problem is legalizing and regulating heroin through the health care system. Firstly, it is crucial to analyze the past and present drug policies, especially on heroin, to understand how a potential regulation will affect society. The Canadian government is taking action in the process of legalization of drugs, like marijuana, to provide social health care. Still, it should not be forgotten that another drug called heroin is also a threat to public health, and heroin-related crimes are a more significant threat to social security. In fact, heroin is dubbed as “the most dangerous substance on Earth. ” As an expert sociologist, Patrick Manzoni and two sociologists state that “Criminal activities account for a major proportion of the social costs related to illicit drug use” (Manzoni et al. , 351-376).

For heroin, these criminal activities are not related to violence. Users commit offenses to generate income, which is the only way to attain their extra high. In the late 80s, researches with the participation of 28 heroin-users have shown that heroin use is correlated with theft from strangers and burglary of businesses but not other crimes (Hammersley et al. , 899-906). Early criminologists such as Preble and Casey, who studied heroin addicts, concluded that the user engaged in not a violent crime, but an income-generating offense to support the high price of the drug (Preble et al. , 1-24). As the prohibition on heroin use leads to a reduction in supply, the street price of the drug will soar, which is the primary reason why addicts commit offenses. Therefore, heroin legalization supporters would indicate that if the government provides cheap and strictly regulated heroin, then the heroin-related crimes would be reduced eventually. There is no doubt that the legalization of heroin would push the users who are highly potential criminals out of the illegal drug trade, which leads to a decrement on income-generating crimes.

As an example, Portugal changed its approach to combating illicit drug use, included heroin, and decriminalized personal amounts of all drugs in 2001. With social support services, the government provided help with battling addiction, mental health, reintegrating back into society, and finding affordable housing and jobs. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, after all, the Portuguese decriminalization model started to work very effectively, and incarceration for drug offenses decreased by over %40 (Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Learning from a Health and Human-Centered Approach). The decriminalization model of the government of Portugal is an undeniable example of how strict government regulations have a significant effect on addicts and their drug-related crimes.

As a matter of fact, however, the relationship between heroin use and heroin-related crime is much more complicated than has been generally believed, and it has much more severe negative consequences than has been thought. Unless this legalization and regulation “reforms” make all illegal drugs, included heroin, available to any potential buyer, there will be a significant and destructive unlawful market of these addictive substances. In fact, by reducing the legal and other pressures that reject illicit drug use, these “reforms” all will increase the use of illicit drugs, and this increase will come to the harms caused by it ('Drug Legalization'). The director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Nora D. Volkow, states in an interview with The Boston Globe that “The greatest mortality from drugs comes from legal drugs. The moment you make a drug legal, you’re going to increase the number of people who get exposed to it, and therefore you increase the negative consequences from its use. When you legalize, you create an industry whose purpose is to make money selling those drugs. And how do you sell it? Mostly by enticing people to take them and entice them to take high quantities” (qtd. in 'Drug Legalization'). Eventually, legalization will open the door of widely distributed addiction.

The relationship between legal-drugs and usage of them is more transparent with some examples. According to the Canadian government, alcohol is by far the most common drug used by Canadians (“Canadian Alcohol And Drug Use Monitoring Survey”). Also, every single day, 100 Canadians lost their lives because of smoking-related illnesses (“Smoking and Mortality”). It is proved that legalized substances such as alcohol and tobacco, had a substantial effect on public health. Besides, alcohol and tobacco addiction have caused other crimes such as drinking while driving and robberies in tobacco shops. Consequently, legalization has caused an increase in drug-related crimes, and these crimes have been threatening public safety.

Another matter that has been threatening social safety and public health is the connection between street prostitution and illegal heroin usage. The analysis of why an individual is a part of the prostitution sector and what is the reason for drug usage will be helpful to understand the concept better.

References

• Manzoni, Patrik, et al. “Determinants of Property Crime Among Illicit Opiate Users Outside of Treatment Across Canada. ” Deviant Behavior, vol. 27, no. 3, 2006, pp. 351–376. , doi:10. 1080/01639620600605705.
• Preble, Edward, and John J. Casey. “Taking Care of Business—The Heroin Users Life on the Street. ” International Journal of the Addictions, vol. 4, no. 1, 1969, pp. 1–24. , doi:10. 3109/10826086909061998.
• “Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Learning from a Health and Human-Centered Approach. ” Drug Policy Alliance, http://www. drugpolicy. org/resource/drug-decriminalization-portugal-learning-health-and-human-centered-approach.
• Hammersley, Richard, and Valerie Morrison. “Effects of Polydrug Use on the Criminal Activities of Heroin-Users. ” Addiction, vol. 82, no. 8, 1987, pp. 899–906. , doi:10. 1111/j. 1360-0443. 1987. tb03910. x.
• “Caadian Alcohol And Drug Use Monitoring Survey: Summary of Results for 2011. ” PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2012, doi:10. 1037/e679682012-001.
• Canada, Health. “Smoking and Mortality. ” Canada. ca, Government of Canada, 21 Sept. 2011, https://www. canada. ca/en/health-canada/services/health-concerns/tobacco/legislation/tobacco-product-labelling/smoking-mortality. html#note3.
• “Drug Legalization. ” Institute for Behavior and Health, https://www. ibhinc. org/drug-legalization.