Parry Charles D, Plüddemann Andreas, Louw Antoinette, Leggett Ted
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Group, Medical Research Council, P.O. Box 19070, Tygerberg (Cape Town), 7505, South Africa.
Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2004;30(1):167-85. doi: 10.1081/ada-120029872.
This study examined the drug-crime nexus by investigating the prevalence of recent drug use among persons arrested by the police. Data were gathered during August/September 2000 from 1050 adult arrestees in eight police stations in Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg (South Africa). Measures included urinalysis results for cannabis, methaqualone (Mandrax), opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, and benzodizepines, and a questionnaire designed to assess socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds of arrestees, history of prior arrests and imprisonment, current arrest information, profile of substance use, etc. Results of the study show high levels of drug use among arrestees, with 45% testing positive for at least one drug (mainly cannabis and Mandrax). A greater proportion of arrestees in Cape Town tested positive for drugs than in the other sites. Data were also analyzed in terms of gender, age, race, location (site and police station), and offense category. Persons arrested on charges of housebreaking or for drugs/alcohol offenses were particularly likely to test positive for drugs. Drug positive arrestees were more likely to have had a prior arrest. Among the conclusions of the study are that 1) strategies to reduce drug use and drug related crime must be area specific, 2) particular attention needs to focus on young offenders, 3) police need to be trained to recognize particular symptoms and to establish protocols on handling arrestees under the influence of drugs, and 4) diversion to treatment of drug using offenders deserves more consideration.
本研究通过调查被警方逮捕人员近期吸毒的流行情况，对毒品与犯罪的关系进行了考察。2000年8月/9月期间，从南非开普敦、德班和约翰内斯堡的8个警察局的1050名成年被捕者那里收集了数据。测量方法包括对大麻、甲喹酮（安眠酮）、鸦片制剂、可卡因、安非他明和苯二氮卓类药物的尿液分析结果，以及一份旨在评估被捕者社会经济和人口背景、先前被捕和监禁史、当前逮捕信息、药物使用情况等的调查问卷。研究结果显示，被捕者中吸毒水平较高，45%的人至少有一种药物检测呈阳性（主要是大麻和安眠酮）。开普敦的被捕者中药物检测呈阳性的比例高于其他地点。还根据性别、年龄、种族、地点（场所和警察局）以及犯罪类别对数据进行了分析。因入室盗窃或毒品/酒精犯罪而被捕的人尤其可能药物检测呈阳性。药物检测呈阳性的被捕者更有可能有过先前被捕的经历。该研究的结论包括：1）减少吸毒和与毒品相关犯罪的策略必须因地制宜；2）需要特别关注年轻罪犯；3）警察需要接受培训，以识别特定症状并制定处理受毒品影响被捕者的规程；4）对吸毒罪犯转向治疗值得更多考虑。
