Numerous studies have established that illicit drug use and the commission of other illegal activities are inextricably linked. Methods have recently been proposed to estimate the social cost (tangible and intangible) of individual crimes and these techniques have been used to estimate the economic benefits of drug abuse treatment. However, these techniques have not been applied to a community-based sample of drug users. Furthermore, no study has examined the combined cost of crime associated with drug users as both perpetrators and victims of criminal acts. This paper analyzed recent data from a community-based sample of drug users and a matched sample of non-drug users to estimate the incremental cost of crime associated with drug use. Cost estimates were developed separately by type of crime and for drug users as perpetrators and victims of criminal acts. To distinguish between the frequency and type of drug use, injection drug users (IDUs) and other chronic drug users (CDUs) were compared to non-drug users, and the endogeneity of drug use was addressed in all empirical models. The preliminary findings suggest that IDUs and CDUs extol a significant cost on society as perpetrators of crime, amounting to $147,888 annually per CDU. But, drug users also suffer a significant cost as victims of crime, which sometimes exceeds the cost as perpetrators ($170,350 annually per CDU). This study demonstrates that criminal activity among drug-using groups is circular and the social cost of drug-related crime is extensive. Policy implications and guidelines for possible drug abuse interventions are discussed.
Learning Objectives: The proposed session will enable the participants to: 1. Describe the composition of the total social cost of crime and the relationship between drug use and criminal activity. 2. Articulate a new perspective on the combined social cost of crime associated with drug users as both perpetrators and victims of crime. 3. Discuss the policy implications and guidelines for developing cost-effective drug abuse interventions
Keywords: Drug Abuse, Crime
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.