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Drug spend and acquisitive offending by substance misusers
Karen P Hayhurst1, Andrew Jones, Tim Millar
1National Drug Evidence Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. karen.hayhurst@manchester.ac.uk
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|November 8, 2012
Summary
High rates of acquisitive crime are linked to drug misuse. Problematic crack cocaine use, chaotic lifestyles, and complex needs, rather than just funding drug use, are key drivers of offending among drug users.
Area of Science:
- Criminology
- Addiction Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Acquisitive crime is often assumed to be driven by the need to fund drug misuse.
- Understanding the factors contributing to acquisitive offending among drug users is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of drug misuse expenditure and other factors on acquisitive offending in a large cohort of drug users.
- To identify distinguishing characteristics between drug users who offend acquisitively and those who do not.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive survey was administered to 1380 clients seeking drug treatment across 94 Drug Action Teams (DATs) in England.
- Data collected included validated scales and self-report measures on drug and alcohol use, offending behavior, and demographic factors.
Main Results:
- Forty percent of participants reported engaging in acquisitive crime in the prior month.
- Acquisitive offending was significantly associated with problematic crack cocaine use, poly-drug use, sharing injecting equipment, unsafe sex, overdose risk, higher drug expenditure, unemployment, poorer mental wellbeing, and younger age.
Conclusions:
- Acquisitive crime rates are high among individuals with drug misuse issues.
- Problematic crack cocaine use, younger age, chaotic lifestyles, and complex needs are stronger predictors of acquisitive offending than drug expenditure alone.
- These findings challenge the assumption that income generation is the primary driver of acquisitive crime among drug users.
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