In every state in the Union, crime and arrest statistics show the relationship between drug or alcohol abuse and crime. An examination of ADAM (Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program) statistics from 2003 shows that nearly 74 percent of adult male arrestees in testing sites across the U.S. tested positive for one of nine drugs including cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, opiates or alcohol. Forty-four percent of those arrested tested positive for marijuana, 30 percent had consumed cocaine and more than 11 percent were positive for methamphetamine.
Certain crimes were more likely to be associated with positive drug test results. Vehicle theft, robbery and burglary charges were most likely to be connected with positive results, along with prostitution for females. In a survey of inmates in state prisons in 1991, 30 percent of those convicted of burglary and 31 percent of those convicted of theft reported that they committed their crimes to get money for drugs.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy states the connection this way: “Most directly, it is a crime to use, possess, manufacture or distribute drugs…drugs are also related to crime through the effects they have on the user’s behavior and by generating violence and other illegal activity in connection with drug trafficking.” Illicit drug users are about 16 times more likely than nonusers to be arrested for theft, nine times more likely to be arrested for assault.
“Whether a person starts using drugs first or starts committing crimes first, the result is the same: a dwindling spiral of loss of self-respect and hope that leads to more drug use and more crime,” said Gary W. Smith, Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation and education centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma. “This self-destructive cycle can be interrupted with an effective drug or alcohol rehabilitation that first eliminates the cravings and then teaches a person the skills to live a life free from drugs or crime. Then a person who fell into drug use and crime has a chance to reclaim their self-respect and their position as a productive member of society.”
“As we observe National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, it’s a great time to make sure that we find help for those we care about who may be suffering from addiction,” Smith added. “Narconon offers a full range of services from in-patient rehabilitation and drug education lectures to free consultations to those struggling with addiction and referrals to treatment programs.”
