Quantifying crime associated with drug use among a large cohort of sanctioned offenders in England and Wales.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

To assess the relationship between testing positive for opiates and/or cocaine and prior offending.

Methods

139,925 persons (107,573 men) identified from a saliva test for opiate and cocaine metabolites following arrest in England and Wales, 1 April 2005-31 March 2009, were case-linked with 2-year recorded offending history. The prior offending rate, accounting for estimated incarceration periods, was calculated by: drug-test outcome; gender; four main crime categories (acquisitive, non-acquisitive, serious acquisitive, and non-serious acquisitive) and 16 sub-categories. Rate ratio (RR) compared opiate and/or cocaine positive to dual-negative testers. Adjusted rate ratio (aRR) controlled for age at drug test.

Results

The relationship between testing positive for o

SUBMITTER: Pierce M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4768078 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature