COCAINE, CRIME, AND DIVERSION PROGRAMS

This research addresses the interrelationships between cocaine use, crime, and diversion programs. In this introduction to the research, an overview is presented of the use of cocaine, the effects of such use of the physical and psychological health of users, the relationship of cocaine use and criminal activity, and new directions in the treatment of cocaine addiction. Following this introduction, a literature review pertaining to cocaine use, an introduction to the Broward County (Florida) Drug Court, a description of the Court's Outpatient Program, and a consideration of the effectiveness of diversion programs are presented in separate discussions.

The use of cocaine in the general population in the United States is not high. While 37 percent of all Americans report the use of an illegal substance at least once in their lifetime, only 13.3 percent report such use over the past year (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1991). Persons in the 1834 year old age group report the highest use rates. The use of an illegal substance at least once in a lifetime is reported by 62.6 percent of those individuals in the 2634 year old age group, and by 55.8 percent of those individuals in the 1825 year old age group. The highest level of use over the past year, however, is among the 1825 year old age group28.7 percent, with a 21.9 percent use rate among those individuals in the 2634 year old age group

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d to chemical substance abuse, and (4) sociological theories, which hold that societal conditions lead some individuals into chemical substance abuse. Some theorists believe that, because a chemical substance can produce a temporary reduction in fear and inner conflict, it is used by some individuals as a means of adaptation. The state of misery which follows withdrawal from the substance produces an addiction cycle. As an example, McGoldrick and Pearce (1981) found that a learning process was involved in the development of alcoholism by many Irish Americans. They reported that alcohol has been used as a major tension reliever by Irish Americans, and that high alcohol use is tolerated without use levels being viewed as a problem. The researchers reported that a fivestep learning cycle is involved in the development of alcoholism depression, distance, anger, guilt, and further depression. Nutritional deficiencies have been implicated in the development of chemical substance abuse. Restricted food intake and vitamin B deficiencies, as an example, resulted in increased alcohol consumption in rats (Westerfield, 1975). Other studies demonstrated that genetically determined defects can impair the metabolism of carbohydrat
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Approximate Word count = 5069
Approximate Pages = 20 (250 words per page)