Drug-related crime
In many countries, it is forbidden to manufacture or trade certain drugs, which are regulated by the government. Usually, these drugs can be abused easily. Crimes related to the production or distribution of these drugs are called drug-related crimes. Drugs are also related to crime as drug trafficking and drug production are often controlled by drug cartels, organised crime and gangs. Some drug-related crime involves crime against the person such as robbery or sexual assaults.[1]
These crimes include:
- Producing such a drug
- Buying, or selling such a drug, called illegal drug trade
- In some cases, possessing such a drug. In many cases, there is a differnce between possessing small quantities for personal use, and possessing larger quantities, to trade
Illegal drugs are expensive, and some of the people trading wit them are themselves addicted to the drug. So drug-related crime also includes:
- Small crimes to get the money required for the next dose, like burglaries, or robberies.
- Sometimes, crimes against the sexual integrity of a person. People may be forced to prostitute themselves to get the moey required. As many are young, this may count as child prostitution
- In some cases human trafficking. As many drug users are young: trafficking of children
