Alcohol addiction victims and lawlessness. Can something be done?
Alcohol addiction victims and lawlessness: Who is the victim under these circumstances?
Ideally everyone are virtually alcohol addiction victims with all the consequences of substance abuse attached. This is because we all have the burden to handle in the event of a member of the family is directly involved in addiction to substances. So if you thought that because you are not directly using alcohol or drugs then you’re safe, you are missing the point. As a care giver you will have serious realignment in your schedule, finances, social life and many more while caring for a loved one. Therefore according to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury, all of us are victims of alcohol or drug related crime.
And as we have already stated, even though you may not be the person using alcohol or drugs, or violating the law, you can certainly be a victim of an alcohol or drug-related crime. In fact, the information available from the past research is shocking and it indicates that millions of people each year become victims of alcohol or drug related crime and this includes millions of young people being introduced into drugs every day. Using the US as an example, doctor Akoury is of the opinion that the following statistics from several studies are indicators of how deep alcohol and drugs are related to crime:
- Each year, more than 600,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.
- 95% of all violent crime on college campuses involves the use of alcohol by the assailant, victim or both.
- 90% of acquaintance rape and sexual assault on college campuses involves the use of alcohol by the assailant, victim or both.
- Every day, 36 people die, and approximately 700 are injured, in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. Drinking and drugged driving is the number one cause of death, injury and disability of young people under the age of 21.
Alcohol addiction victims and lawlessness: The role of prisons
From the above statistics the connection between alcohol, drugs and crime is clear. And so is the connection between alcohol and drug addiction and crime. Therefore as a society we need to break the chain that links drug addiction and crime so that the problem of addiction in peoples’ health is corrected medically. The school of thought where addicts are sent to prisons has been seen to be in appropriate when it comes to finding lasting solutions to alcohol misuse and substance abuse. Doctor Akoury further says that even though prisons are said to be correctional facilities, it is not surprising that sending addicts to jail alone has had little effect on reduction of drug addiction or in promoting recovery. As a matter of fact holding an addict in jail without access to alcohol and drug addiction treatment, with no specific plans for treatment and recovery support upon release is not only adding problem to the already complicated situation but also very costly, ineffective and unsustainable. Besides that if proper treatment is not administered then many in the criminal justice system will continue being on the wrong side of the law because prevention of any anticipated future crime and re-arrest after serving their terms is in evitable. It is therefore very important that those in authorities take the first lane in the treatment of inmates particularly those with history of drug addiction.
Alcohol addiction victims and lawlessness: Who is the victim under these circumstances?
http://www.awaremednetwork.com/
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