NCJ Number
91397
Date Published
1982
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Following a review of the history of drug abuse and official response to it in the United States, this presentation describes the drug treatment and prevention system administered by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) as well as research findings pertaining to the relationship between drug abuse and crime.
Abstract
The problem of drug abuse and patterns of official response to it are traced from the turn of the century up through the 1970's. Current official response to the drug problem is portrayed as a combination of efforts to reduce the supply of drugs through law enforcement and reduce the demand for drugs through education and treatment programs. The discussion of current trends in drug abuse examines abuse by drug categories; marijuana and cocaine are noted to be the most popular drugs, with the use of these drugs among juveniles (12-17 years-old) having increased significantly in recent years. Overall, American society is concluded to be heavily involved in drug abuse across all segments of society. The description of NIDA's work notes that it coordinates about 1,400 drug treatment agencies, with about half the programs focusing on heroin addicts. Only about 10 percent of the clients are less than 18 years-old. NIDA has developed prevention programs for youth which focus on information, education, and diversion programs. In the discussion of research that examines the relationship between crime and drug abuse directly causes crime, but drug abuse can be said to be one among many factors contributing to crime. Finally, it is advised that little evaluation research has been conducted on drug treatment programs for juveniles, although the evaluation of prevention efforts indicates that the attitudes of children toward drug use can be changed, positive peer pressure can be mobilized, and youth's knowledge about the negative consequences of drug abuse can be increased.