NCJ Number
220039
Journal
Drug and Alcohol Review Volume: 26 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2007 Pages: 397-403
Date Published
July 2007
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This study examined the role of illicit drug use before the age of 18 years in developing a criminal career.
Abstract
Results of the study found that drug use especially intravenous drug use at this age implied a higher risk for future adult criminality (with and without adult convictions for drug abuse). The study included 7,577 18 year old men drafted for military service in Stockholm County (Sweden) in 1969/1970. All subjects completed two questionnaires, the first concerning social background and the second dealing with alcohol consumption, narcotics, and tobacco smoking. Seven factors were identified as behavior risk factors, based on the literature and earlier studies using this sample. Of the total sample, 944 (13 percent) reported cannabis use, 414 (6 percent) reported other illicit drugs, and 98 (1.3 percent) reported having tried intravenous injections at least once. A total of 5,667 (80 percent) reported no illicit drug use and 453 people did not specify which drug they had used. Data on criminal offenses from age 15 to the age of 43 were obtained from the national police register of criminal offences. Multivariate analyses were used when calculating the association between behavioral risk factors, adolescent criminality and drug use at adolescence, and adult criminality. Tables, figure, references