Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
Drug trafficking and Addiction have become a global epidemic, and there is no corner of the world that is left untouched by its malevolent presence. In India, the problem of drug addiction is alarmingly rampant and continues to worsen as time goes on. The lives of those addicted to drugs become an endless cycle of misery, teetering between life and death.
Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medicine. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine also are considered drugs. When you’re addicted, you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes.
Drug Addiction and Crime
It has caused immense human suffering, and its illegal production and distribution have led to an upsurge in crime and violence across the globe. it is a multifaceted phenomenon with many different social, cultural, biological, geographical, historical, and economic elements. In order to effectively address the issue, it is important to consider each of these factors when designing interventions and policies.
The impact of drug abuse on society is far-reaching and deeply concerning. Increased rates of crime are often linked to cravings, as addicts often resort to crime to pay for their drugs. Moreover, drug abuse can impair an individual’s judgment and remove inhibitions, potentially leading to offenses such as teasing, group clashes, and assault.
In addition, it can have a significant influence on a family, including increasing conflicts and causing emotional distress. Moreover, addiction can have a serious financial cost, as well as reduce individuals’ ability to maintain a stable lifestyle. All of these factors combined demonstrate the immense impact of drug abuse on society.
The issue of narcotic addiction and its relation to criminality has become a major source of concern in many societies in recent years. Several studies have reported that narcotic addicts are often involved in criminal activity on a daily basis, leading to the accumulation of multiple offenses per person over the course of their careers. This has further exacerbated the problems associated with drug cravings, leading to an increase in drug-related crime and other associated social issues.
Narcotic addicts have experienced a shift in their behavior over time. Historically, addicts during the 1950s commonly resorted to committing non-violent, petty crimes in order to finance their need for heroin. These crimes typically revolved around the theft of property, such as shoplifting, burglary, stealing from cars, and other forms of ‘con games’. Unfortunately, this pattern of criminality has been observed in many other time periods, with the addict’s actions representing a desperate attempt to deal with their addiction.
Drugs and criminal activity are complex. Most obviously, it is a criminal offense to purchase, utilize, possess, manufacture, or distribute illegal drugs (such as cocaine, heroin, and marijuana). The misuse of legal substances can also be related to crime.
Chandrasekaran vs. The State (2010)
In this case, both the accused and the victim were drug addicts. The accused had administered illicit drugs to the victim, which ultimately led to their death. After considering the facts and circumstances of the case, the court concluded that the two accused had unlawfully and intentionally conspired to cause the victim’s death, and thus upheld the verdict of the trial court convicting them under Sections 302 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.
Drug dependency and crime have long been seen as intrinsically linked. Drug abusers are more likely to be involved in criminal behavior either to fund their addiction or because of altered judgment due to drug use. A promising approach to address this issue is to explore the use of a combination of methods for the treatment of addiction.
The simplest of these methods is court-directed treatment, in which the court mandates an individual to enter a drug rehabilitation program in exchange for avoiding or reducing their sentence or avoiding prison entirely. This approach has been proven effective, particularly when close monitoring or surveillance is employed in a clinical setting.
This can be invaluable in identifying potential relapse earlier and providing support and guidance to counter it. More elaborate methods do exist, such as contingency management and motivational interviewing. Contingency management centers around rewards and sanctions for positive or negative behavior in order to encourage positive and discourage negative behavior.
Motivational Interviewing is a therapeutic approach used to open up individuals to discuss the issue and develop a meaningful approach to managing their drug use. Balancing the use of these treatments can lead to the most successful outcomes, reducing both drug dependency and the likelihood of criminal behavior. By providing effective approaches to the treatment of addiction.
From the standpoint of the welfare of society, the most pressing objective might be selective control over the aberrant behavior of those people who are prone to the most severe and intensely criminal acts. Unfortunately, these individuals are often especially adept at avoiding detection. This can be a huge challenge for the justice system, law enforcement, and social workers, who have a duty to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
To control these individuals and their sometimes hapless victims, it is necessary to formulate an effective strategy for discouraging the behavior and for apprehending those who pose a potential threat. A well-thought-out, comprehensive approach to the problem would involve a combination of both elaborate and simple methods.
For example, an elaborate plan might encompass a network of specialized teams and resources that investigate known trouble spots, identify gangs and individual actors, and then lock them down with targeted surveillance operations that make it much more difficult for them to slide through the cracks.
Simultaneously, simple measures could involve regulating access to areas known for violence or crime, thereby limiting the opportunities for potentially dangerous individuals to slip away. Ultimately, it is paramount that the justice system steps up and takes responsibility for the safety of society.
When members of either of these subgroups are identified, legal authorities need to take a close look at their disposition and follow up. While they are under treatment, legal pressure should be continued and their drug-taking and patterns of antisocial behavior closely monitored and contained, when necessary.
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