populations of drug users with criminal activities emphasized that most of the crimes committed showed intentions of generating income. However, this evidence is not only an unreliable indicator of the overall drug population but also widely outdated, Hayhurst said.
Past research failed to use a comparison group of non-opiate-users and without clinical studies that include equivalent groups, it isn’t possible to establish whether opiate use or any drug use is associated with additional crime.
Researchers added that onset opiate use is linked to accelerating criminal activity for individuals who had pre-existing criminal offenses and that there’s a need for updated, systematically suitable research if the connection between drug use and criminal misconduct continues to be made by policymakers.
“There’s a surprising lack of robust evidence focusing specifically on pathways through opiate use and offending,” Hayhurst concluded.
Author: Livia Areas-Holmblad
Livia Holmblad is an editor at Addiction Now and covers breaking news, features and everything in between. She moved to SoCal after living in NYC for about 10 years, where she worked for VICE and SinoVision as a writer, editor, host, producer, and director. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro. Contact Livia at liviah@addictionnow.com
