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INFLUENCE OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE ON
CRIME
Researchers estimate that one-fourth to one-half of men
who commit acts of domestic violence also have substance abuse problems.14
Victims reported
that their stalkers abused alcohol in 57.8% of stalking cases and abused
drugs in 51.3% of stalking cases.33
Perpetrators of aggravated assault
were most likely to be under the influence at the time of the crime.34
One-third of state prisoners and one in five federal
prisoners said they had committed their current offense while under the
influence of drugs.14
When controlling for other factors,
a comparison of chronic drug users (at least weekly use) with non-chronic
drug users (no use of cocaine or opiates, but past marijuana use in some
cases) shows that chronic drug users are 9 times more likely to have ever
robbed someone, almost 5 times more likely to have ever shot someone, and
more than twice as likely to have committed any other violent act.35
In 1998, more than 305,000 persons were injured in
alcohol-related crashes---an average of one person injured approximately
every two minutes.4
A total of 15,935 persons, or 38% of all traffic
fatalities, died in alcohol-related crashes in 1998--an alcohol-related
fatality every 33 minutes.4
Drunk driving is the nation's most frequently committed
offense.5
REFERENCES
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