libertycall
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I think it is more likely related to criminal activity. If there are a bunch of break-ins and a common denominator is they are doing it because they are hooked on crack cocaine...then the punishment for possessing crack cocaine will go up. I'm sure there are far worse drugs but since they are not showing up tied to criminal behavior they don't get attention.
I'm sure many countries don't have any OxyContin abuse laws..it's only because it probably isn't known and hasn't been linked with criminal activity.
There is no direct causal link between being hooked on crack cocaine and break-ins. There is a link between being unable to afford crack cocaine and engaging in a break-in to steal valuables to buy crack cocaine.
On the other hand there is a link between alcohol and violence--including sexual violence. However, alcohol is legal and crack cocaine is illegal.
Now it could be argued that this is because crack cocaine has more serious health consequences, but if that's the case why are drugs with far less serious health consequences (for instance marijuana) illegal?
"Among spouse victims of violence who were able to describe substance use by the offender, 3 out of 4 incidents were reported to have involved an offender who had been drinking.
Percent of spouse violence victimizations involving substance use:
Alcohol only 65%
Drugs only 5%
Both alcohol and drugs 11
Either alcohol or drugs <1
Neither alcohol nor drugs 19
Based on victim reports, on average each year about 183,000 rapes and sexual assaults involve alcohol use by the offender, as do just over 197,000 robberies, about 661,000 aggravated assaults, and nearly 1.7 million simple assaults.
Combined use of drugs and alcohol accounted for 18% of the alcohol- involved rapes and sexual assaults, 36% of the alcohol-involved robberies, 24% of the aggravated assaults in which the offender was drinking, and 15% of the simple assaults involving a drinking offender."
Bureau of Justice Statistics - Alcohol and Violent Crime in the U.S.: [insert page title]