NCJ Number
102806
Journal
Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine Volume: 62 Issue: 5 Dated: (June 1986) Pages: 509-516
Date Published
1986
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Drug use and drug trafficking are important causal factors in homicide, as confirmed by both national data and findings from a New York City 15-year followup study of 78 heroin addicts.
Abstract
The study found that more than 35 percent of the addicts had died and that 40 percent of the deaths were homicides. Annual data from the New York City police and medical examiners since 1958 have shown that from 42 percent to 52 percent of homicide victims have had alcohol, drugs, or both in their blood. About 53 percent of the victims and 74 percent of the suspects had at least one prior arrest, with drug offenses accounting for about 15 percent of the prior arrests. Major cities' crime analysis units report that 15 to 30 percent of homicides are drug-related. The consistency of the local data makes it surprising that the Uniform Crime Reporting system does not gather data on the relationship between drugs and violence. Recent studies have concluded that substantial numbers of both homicides and assaults are drug-related. Many case examples show that homicide and assault are most often parts of the same continuum of behavior. The Federal Government has recently funded research to test empirically the relationship between drugs and violence. 18 references.