Drug Use And Crime

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Is There A Direct Correlation Between Illegal Drug Use and Crime? In my personal opinion illegal drug use does not necessarily lead to criminal behavior. First, I will draw on personal experience. For many years, I was a regular user of cocaine, and methamphetamine. At the time I was raising three young sons and maintained employment as a Payroll Manager. I considered myself to be a functioning addict. I maintained a lifestyle which was beneficial for the well being of me and my family. Many of my friends used drugs on a recreational basis, and maintained their life and families. When I did get caught up in the legal system, the first question my attorney asked was, “Are you an addict?” He further explained that if I was on drugs when I committed my crime, the District Attorney would be willing to make a deal for less jail time. The reasoning was that by being an addict I was not responsible for my actions, due to the fact that I was under the influence of a narcotic. The basic relationship between drug use and crime is simple. It is a crime to possess, manufacture, or distribute any drugs with a high potential for abuse such as marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine. It is also illegal to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. There are many theories regarding the correlation between illegal drug use and crime; the relationship between the use of illegal drugs and crime is complex. Not all individuals who use drugs become addicted, nor do they commit crimes. Of course there are many social and economic factors which are affected by drug use such as, crime, illness, premature death, and considerable loss of productivity. I do not personally believe that illegal drug use causes crime. As stated above most of the crimes committed by people who use or abuse drugs, is violation of drug laws. I am not saying that people who use illegal drugs
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