AICrime reduction matters

No. 22: Does drug use cause crime? : understanding the drugs-crime link

ISSN 1448-1383
1 April 2004

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Abstract

While many studies have repeatedly established a close relationship between drugs and crime, what is the nature of this relationship? Does drug use cause or lead to crime? Or does crime lead to drug use? Could it be that those who use drugs and those who are inclined to be criminals just happen to share many characteristics in common? This paper summarises the findings of research into the drugs-crime link, which has generally concluded that the relationship is extremely complex and defies attempts to sort out directionality. As drug use and crime involvement appear to have common origins, action to address drugs and crime must be a balanced mixture of measures designed to address long-term underlying causes as much as the immediate problems through education, law enforcement and treatment.