CRIMINOLOGY

Criminal Psychology
Substance abuse and crime
Component - I - Personal Details
Role Name Affiliation

Principal Investigator Prof(Dr) G S Bajpai Registrar

National Law University
Delhi
Paper Coordinator Dr Navin Kumar University Of Delhi

Content Writer/Author Dr Sarabjit Kaur Sran University of Delhi

Content Reviewer

Component - I (B) Description of Module

Description of Module

Subject Name Criminology

Paper Name Criminal Psychology

Module No. M-10

Module Name/Title Substance abuse and crime

Pre-requisites Substance abuse , Addiction , Withdrawal and crime.

Objectives After learning this module you will be able to:

Understand substance abuse, Substance use,
intoxication and substance dependence.
Know the types of substance, alcohol abuse &
dependence and drug abuse & dependence.
Understand the relationship between substance abuse
and crime.

Keywords
Drug abuse, Addiction, Dependence, Crime. Stimulants,
Depressants.

Table of Contents:
1 Introduction
1.1 Substance abuse
1.2 DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for substance abuse
1.3 Clinical Description, Prevalence and effects of substance abuse
2 Substance use and intoxication
3 Substance dependence
3.1Substance can be grouped into five categories
4 Alcohol abuse and dependence
5 Drug abuse and dependence
5.1 opiates
5.2 Synthetic Barbiturates
5.3 Stimulants
5.4 Cocaine & Amphetamine
5.5 Hallucinogens, Ecstasy& PCP
6 Drugs and Alcohol enhances mood
7 Relationship Between Substance abuse and crime
8 Summary
9 References
1Introduction
First we need to outline that what we mean by substance use, substance intoxication, substance abuse,
and dependence. The term substance refers to chemical compounds that are ingested to alter mood or
behavior . Although you might first think of drugs such as cocaine and heroin, this definition also
includes more commonplace legal drugs such as Alcohol, the nicotine found in tobacco, and the
caffeine in coffee, soft drinks and chocolate. These so called safe drugs also affect mood and
behavior, they can be addictive. To understand substance-related disorders, we must first know what it
means to ingest psychoactive substance-which alters mood, behavior, or both-to become intoxicated
or high, to abuse these substance, and become dependent upon or addicted to them.

1.1 Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is pathological misuse of a substance such as illegal drugs, alcohol and nicotine. The
individual is involved in potentially harmful behavior such as driving dangerously after having a high
quantity of alcohol and is always using it despite continuous psychological, social and health
problems.

1.2 DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for Substance Abuse

A A maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as
manifested by (one or more) of the following, during the same 12-month period:
1 Recurrent substance use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligation at work, school, or
home( e.g; repeated absence or poor work performance related to substance use; substance related
absences, suspensions, or expulsion from school; neglect of children or household)
2 Recurrent substance use in situations in which it is physically hazardous (e.g driving an auto-mobile
or operating a machine when impaired by substance use)
3 Recurrent substance related legal problems (arrests for substance related disorderly conduct)
4 Continued substance use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems
caused by the effects of substance (arguments with spouse about consequences of intoxication,
physical fights)
B The symptoms have never met the criteria for substance dependence for this class of substance.

1.3 Clinical Descriptions, Prevalence, and Effects of Substance abuse:

Prevalence of alcoholism varies, ranging between 1 and 550/1000. In a recent study conducted by
ICMR-CAR-CMH,1990 in Bangalore, 1.2% of men suffering from alcohol abuse. The meta analysis
revealed prevalence of 6.9/1000 for India with urban and rural rates of 5.8 and 7.3/1000 population.
The rates among men and women were 11.9 and 1.7 respectively. In a community based study in four
area, rural, semi-rural, slum and urban-habitual alcohol users accounted for 9%. It was found that 10
to 60% of school students, medical personnel and industrial workers use alcohol. Due to the high
consumption of alcohol, rate of hospital admission is increasing. The prevalence of alcohol use among
women is found to be 0.5%. Due to the high consumption of alcohol, road accidents and crime rate is
increasing. They cause harm to themselves.
2 Substance Use and intoxication:
Substance use is taking psychoactive drugs or substance in an appropriate amount and it has not
harmful impact on the daily functioning like going to college, to office and social relationships.
Drinking a less quantity of alcohol, taking a cup of coffee in the morning and smoking a cigarette to
relax and occasional use of illegal drugs are example of substance use. Intoxication is our biological
reaction to ingest substance or getting high, is referred to as intoxication. Level of intoxication
depends on how much the drug is taken and the Individuals physiological reaction. Common
physiological reactions towards intoxication are impaired perception, judgment, variation in mood and
motor ability.

3 Substance Dependence:
Substance dependence is addiction of drug and it is extremely difficult to give up it. The individual is
physiologically dependent on the drug, he needs the drug in much more quantity to have the same
kind of impact (tolerance) and physiologically behave in a negative way, if the drug is not provided to
him (withdrawal).Tolerance and withdrawal are response of the individual towards the drug being
ingested. If the person is given coffee in the morning, he starts experiencing headache. He may be
going through the caffeine withdrawal. Vomiting, nausea, aches, fever and diarrhea are withdrawal
symptoms. Some drugs have not any withdrawal symptoms, when you stop consuming them. These
drugs are marijuana or LSD. Cocaine withdrawal has pattern that includes anxiety, lack of motivation,
and boredom.

3.1Substance can be grouped into five general categories:

Depressants
Stimulants
Opiates
Hallucinogens
Other drugs of abuse

Depressants:
Depressants are those drugs which induce relaxation and behavioral sedation. These include hypnotic
drugs like benzodiazepines and barbiturates, alcohol and sedative drugs.
Stimulants:
Stimulants make us more active and enhance our mood. Caffeine, cocaine, nicotine and
amphetamines are stimulant drugs.
Opiates:
Opiates produces euphoric feelings and analgesia in the person. Morphine, opium, codeine are
opiates.
Hallucinogens: The effects of hallucinogens are delusion, hallucinations. It also alters sensory
perception of the individual.
Substances which do not come under single category are inhalants, steroids and prescription
medications. These drugs produces various kinds of psychoactive effect.
Depressants:
Depressants suppress the central nervous activity. It reduces the physiological arousal and induces
relaxation. sedatives and alcohol are depressants.

4 Alcohol abuse and dependence:

Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are two different disorders. The symptoms of Alcohol abuse
are social withdrawal like marital disruption, deprivation from family, disharmony with friends and
occupational effects such as absenteeism from office. They do not show tolerance and withdrawal
symptoms. Individuals who are dependent on alcohol show severe symptoms such as withdrawal or
tolerance. The major effects of dependence are anxiety, depression and sleeplessness. Alcohol is a
depressant but its initial effects are stimulation. Initially, alcoholic belief that it will reduce tension
and increase social competence. Alcohol depresses certain areas of brain, their cognitive abilities are
affected.
Their judgment and motor co-ordination becomes impaired, their reaction time is slowed. They come
across major road accidents. when an individual consumes alcohol, it passes through small intestines
and is absorbed into blood. Then it is broken down into liver. Alcohol absorbs very quickly into the
system and its removal is slow. It effects the central nervous system of the brain and
neurotransmitters, especially GABA, which reduces the tension of the person. It also increases the
secretion of serotonin and dopamine. It increases the pleasure feeling in the person. Alcohol inhibits
the glutamate receptors, which is responsible for memory loss and deficits in thinking.

There are many adverse effects of prolonged use of alcohol on each tissue and organ of the individual.
It provides empty calories to the person and reduces his appetite. It do not provide any nutrition to the
body. It impairs the digestive system of the person and reduces his capacity to absorb vitamins.
Deficiency of vitamin B complex may bring amnestic syndrome. Severe loss of recent and long term
memory occurs in the person. Long term use of alcohol bring protein deficiency and further contribute
to the development of liver cirrhosis. Long term use of alcohol damages heart, pancreas and
hemorrhages.
In elderly people, it can cause amnesia, which can cause a severe memory loss. Individuals, who have
chronically abused alcohol consume less quantity of protein leads to the development of liver
cirrhosis. Alcohol effects the endocrine glands, heart, pancreas, hypertension and stroke. It also
damages some parts of the brain. Heavy use of alcohol impairs memory. Mothers who consume
alcohol during pregnancy gives birth to infants of mental retardation.

5 Drug Abuse and Dependence

Drugs which are associated with abuse and dependence are narcotics such as opium and its heroin.
Sedatives such as barbiturates, stimulants such as cocaine and amphetamines, pain killers such as
oxytocin, anti-anxiety drugs such as benzodiazepines and hallucinogens such as LSD and PCP.
5.1Opiates: opiates is a natural chemical in the opium poppy which has a narcotic effect. It has
addictive properties. It relieves pain and induces sleep if taken in a small quantity. Morphine, codeine
and heroin are its derivatives. Morphine was named after a Greek “God of dreams” was separated
from raw opium. Later it was found that it could be converted into more powerful sedative called
heroin. Opiates has both psychological and physical effects like lack of co-ordination, happiness and
drowsy feeling in the individual. Some people go to the extent of committing suicide under its
influence, others end up in accidents. Due to its addictive nature, people who use opiate end up being
obsessed with arranging the drug through whatsoever means possible which in turn exposes them to
illegal activities like theft, drug peddling , prostitution , etc., due to its high cost and limited
availability .

5.2Synthetic Sedatives: Barbiturates

As part of the trend of using synthetic sedatives as an aid for sleeping and relaxing, Barbiturates were
first synthesized in 1903 . Other synthetic sedatives which were abused were Benzodiazepines such as
Valium. . These sedatives have the effect of reducing anxiety , relaxing the muscles and even
producing a mildly euphoric state when taken in small doses . Further , they stimulate the GABA
system like alcohol and thus have psychological effects . However , excessive dosage leads to slurred
speech , unsteady gait , impairment of judgement and ability to work , difficulty in concentrating , etc.
The user often loses control over his/her emotions and may become irritable and combative before
falling into a deep sleep .Thus , prolonged use of the drug in high dosages impairs the brain and can
also be fatal.

5.3 Stimulants:
Stimulants are basically used to increased alertness and motor activity through acting on the brain and
the sympathetic nervous system of the person ingesting them. Cocaine (extracted from the coca leaf)
is a natural stimulant whereas Amphetamines are synthetic stimulants.

5.4 Cocaine and Amphetamines:

Cocaine and Amphetamines being stimulants only stimulate the action of the central nervous system
whereas narcotics depress it .Cocaine has been discovered and used since ancient times just like
opium . Due to its ability to act rapidly on the brain by blocking the reuptake of dopamine in limbic
areas , it used to reduce pain , enhance a feeling of self-confidence , well-being and indefatigability .
However an overdose of the drug may cause nausea , chills , insomnia , paranoia and terrifying
hallucinations like insects crawling under your skin. It can thus impair one’s social relationships ,
irritability , disturbed eating and sleeping patterns and paranoia. Prolonged use of the drug leads to the
possibility of the body developing tolerance to it and requiring a significantly higher dosage in order
to achieve the same effect. Some users maybe more sensitive to its effects which is taken to be a
contributory factor when death of the user results even on taking a small dose. Further , one may
experience severe withdrawal symptoms on stopping its use.
Since cocaine is a vasoconstrictor (causing blood vessels to narrow down ) , users taking large doses
of the drug may die as a result of drug overdose . It exposes the user to an increased risk for stroke ,
difficulty in concentrating , reduced attention span as well difficulty in remembering as it causes
cognitive impairment in the user and causes severe repercussions during pregnancy.

5.5 Hallucinogens, Ecstasy, and PCP:

The origin of LSD can be traced back to the early 1900s when Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann
manufactured a few milligrams of d-lysergic acid diethylamide in 1938 .LSD distorted the user’s four
sensory senses of sight , sound , taste and even smell which completely changed the way one
perceives the outside world and often in a dramatic way as has been observed both in the case of
marijuana and LSD.
Ecstasy contains compounds belonging to both hallucinogen and amphetamine families. It acts
primarily by contributing to both release and the subsequent reuptake of serotonin ( Morgan,2000).
Studies with animals have shown that a single dose of ecstasy causes serotonin depletion and that
prolonged use can damage serotonin axons and nerve terminal(Morgan,2000). As a result , ecstasy
enhances intimacy ,insight, interpersonal relationships, elevates mood and self-confidence and
promotes aesthetic awareness. It can cause muscle tension, rapid eye movement, jaw clenching,
nausea, faintness, chills or sweating, anxiety, depression, depersonalization, and confusion.

Another drug that has not been easy to classify is PCP or Phencyclidine which is often referred to as
angel dust. It was first developed as a tranquilizer for horses and another large animals, however it
generally causes serious negative reactions, including severe paranoia and violence to the extent of
inducing coma and subsequent death. PCP affects multiple neurotransmitters in the brain because of
which its prolonged chronic use is associated with a variety of neuropsychological deficits in the user.
6 Drugs and alcohol enhances mood:
The dominant reason why people resort to drugs is the sense of pleasure that they gain from its use.
All psycho-active drugs in some way or the other provide the user with a pleasurable experience.
(Jaffe &Anthony , 2005). Studies indicate that alcohol by altering cognition and perception reduces
tension in the user (Curtin et:al 1998). In a state of intoxication, alcohol reduces tension by reducing
the cognitive capacity and tend to only focus on immediate distraction. This cognitive distraction thus
reduces aggressive behavior in people who are intoxicated which has specially been recorded in case
of nicotine. People who smoke in the presence of a distractive activity reported reduced anxiety as
compared to those who smoked in the absence of such an activity.

Reduced tension is just one of the possible effects of drug use on one’s mood as many others resort to
them to reduce negative feelings or enhance positivity when they are bored.

7 Relationship between substance abuse and crime:

Research indicates alcohol is the most common substance used by criminals during violent crimes.
Alcohol abuse and crime have always been associated in Indian culture. The relationship between
crime and drug abuse is complex. It is not clear whether drug addicted are inclined to criminal
behavior or drug use leads them into criminal activity. There are usually three types of crimes related
to criminal activity;
 People commit crimes under the influence of drugs.
 Some people involve in crime just to fund a habit of drugs. They steal money to buy drugs.
 Crimes related to handling of drugs such as transportation, sales, drug distribution and
production of drugs.

Juveniles convicted to rape and other crimes were found to be addicted to inhalants such as typewriter
thinners and whiteners. Similarly abuse of cannabis was found to be highest among guilty for murder.
Intake of opioids and heroin was reported to be more in convicts of snatching related crimes. Use of
psychotropic drugs were common with crimes of serious nature such as rape, murder, burglary and
snatching. Research study conducted by unicef indicates 100 million children living on the streets
worldwide with indication of large number living on Indian streets. Majority of them working in car
repair workshops, road side eateries. Substance abuse and crime is reported to be major problem
among children living on streets. 93% of street children were found to be drug addicted.

Economic motivation theory suggests that people commit crimes such as burglary, robbery and
prostitution to get money to buy drugs. They need to accumulate illicit income to continue with drug
habit. Many people become drug dealers to support their addiction of cocaine and heroin. Systematic
theory explains that system of drug use and its distribution is connected with violent crimes.
Systematic crime is related to whatever drug is most common. Deviants become drug peddlers rather
than drug selling makes them criminals. In some cases crime leads them to substance abuse. Deviant
individuals are always struck into situations, in which they do stealing, drug use and drinking alcohol
is encouraged. Substance use and crime is linked and reinforce each other. For example, drug addict
whenever gets an opportunity to robbery or stealing, he will do it and buy drugs with that money.
Conversely, When the urge for drug is intense, he will commit crime to get money to buy drugs. Drug
abuse and crime are related because they are influenced by common determinants such as anti-social
personality disorder, parental alcoholism and dysfunctional relationship with parents. Research
indicates that drug abuse and rate violent crime is linked to poor, densely populated, and racially
segregated population. Substance abuse such as drug use, alcohol effects the cognitive functioning of
the individual and increase the propensity towards criminal behavior. Deviant break the social norms
of the society and get involved in deviant subcultures that give them opportunity and reinforcement
for increased deviant behavior, including drug use.

There is a complex relationship between substance abuse and crime. Research supports that drug
addicted are more likely to commit violent crimes than non drug addicted. A number of Criminals
generally commit offence under the influence of drugs. Drug trafficking also influence the occurrence
of crime. socio-cultural factors like people’s access to and interest as to particular drugs , influence
from various social groups such as parents and peers , cultural norms and media have a significant
contribution to the likelihood of substance abuse as well as dependence and crime . Research suggests
that parents who have drug dependency and criminal record spend less time monitoring their children
in comparison to parents not having such drug dependency and criminal background or indulging in
drug abuse which is often seen as a significant contributor to early adolescent abuse as children tend
to become involved with peers who are already into drug abuse and crime . Further , exposure to
drugs at home increases their likelihood of resorting to them . Therefore , availability and access to
drugs as well circumstances at home often become an important factor in substance use & abuse and
crime. Also , the social setting in which a person lives affects his attitude towards substance abuse and
crime . Studies have reported that people are more likely to smoke when in the company of smokers
and is more likely to occur outside bar or at home rather than at workplace . Even having friends who
are habitual smokers shows a tendency to smoke in the future. It can thus be inferred that people who
are more inclined to indulge in substance abuse are more often than not a part of social networks that
conform to their own drinking or drug abuse pattern.
8 Summary:
Research indicates alcohol is the most common substance used by criminals during violent crimes.
Alcohol abuse and crime have always been associated in Indian culture. The relationship between
crime and drug abuse is complex. It is not clear whether drug addicted are inclined to criminal
behavior or drug use leads them into criminal activity. Research supports that drug addicted are more
likely to commit violent crimes than non drug addicted. A number of Criminals generally commit
offence under the influence of drugs. Substance use and crime is linked and reinforce each other. For
example, drug addict whenever gets an opportunity to robbery or stealing, he will do it and buy drugs
with that money. Conversely, When the urge for drug is intense, he will commit crime to get money to
buy drugs. Drug abuse and crime are related because they are influenced by common determinants
such as anti-social personality disorder, parental alcoholism and dysfunctional relationship with
parent
9 References:

 Sir William Blackstone, Commentaries on the laws of England, Vol 4, 17 th edn,1830, p304
 Somasundaram O, Kumar MS. Changing patterns of admission in a state mental
hospital. Indian J Psychiatry. 1984;26:317–21.
 Sharma S, Varma LP. History of mental hospitals in Indian sub-continent. Indian J
Psychiatry. 1984;26:295–300
 Somasundaram O. The Indian lunacy act, 1912: The historic background. Indian J
Psychiatry. 1987;29:3–14.
 Somasundaram O. Guilty But Insane: Some Aspects of Psychotic Crimes. Indian J
Psychiatry. 1960:80–5.