The Causes of Drug Addiction

For many, the subject of drug use in any way whether it be the production, the exchange or the actual use is a touchy issue. Drugs such as meth, cocaine, and crack have been around for decades and drugs like heroine have been around for centuries. Drugs such as cocaine and heroin can cause major life-altering effects on a person by impairing internal organs, limiting one's abilities and skills that would make one suitable to interact with others successfully. They produce hallucinations, anger, forgetfulness and many other adverse causes. There are countless occurrences of users of hard drugs disregarding the law and committing a crime while in the pursuit of the drug of their choice or while on the drug. Drug addiction almost always leads to criminal conduct. Illegal drug use often leads to crimes such as murder, robbery, burglaries and assaults. Without a doubt drugs and criminal behavior are closely associated. “Drug offenders account for more than one-third of the growth in state prison population and more than 80 percent of the increase in the number of prison inmates since 1985.” (Dewey) In 2013, nearly 40% 0f the inmates in the United States said they committed violent crimes to support their drug habit. Surprisingly jail time alone has had little effect on the reduction of drug addiction or in promoting recovery. A large number of users who were addicted to heroin began with prescription painkillers and only substituted heroin when their prescription drug habits became too costly. “Most of the youthful injectors were whites fleeing distressed and impoverished families, and they represented a smaller proportion of their generation than those who had been attracted to heroin in the 1960’s and 1970’s.” (Bourgois) Today, the typical heroin addict is 23 years old and is more likely to live in a residential or rural area. More