A new Canadian national study details the relationship between alcohol and other drug addiction and crime, the Canadian Press reported April 30. The three-year study, conducted by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), was based on interviews with 10 male and female prisoners in provincial and federal institutions.

According to researchers, 54% of the prisoners who participated in the study were under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they committed their crimes. The study found that alcohol is often behind violent crimes such as murder and assault, while illegal drugs are more commonly associated with break-ins and robberies.

“This report tells us two main things,” said Federal Solicitor General Lawrence MacAutay. “It tells us that drugs and alcohol cause crime – they aren’t just related – and that the cost of this abuse on Canadians is high.”

Michel Perron, head of the CCSA, added that the study “confirms for many people in the field of addictions what we’ve known all along: that the nexus between alcohol, drugs, and crime is very strong This is a huge factor contributing to crime in Canada.”

Source: Join Together Online May 2002