Drug Violence Essay

jibe to the article, The Drugs/Violence Nexus A Tripartite Conceptual Framework, causality Paul Goldstein argues that on that point atomic number 18 three ways in which do do medicinesss and emphasis are related. Goldsteins models for the relationship between medicates and violence are the psychopharmacological model, scotch compulsive model, and the systemic violence model. The psychopharmacological model, suggests that some individuals, as a result of short or long term handling of acceptables and services of specific substances, may become excitable, irrational, and may exhibit violent appearance (pg. 278).In this model, violence occurs repayable to a withdrawal or the lack of accessibility of the preferred drug. The economic compulsive model argues that crime occurs due to the necessity to continue a prolonged addiction of a finicky dug. Paul Goldstein states that, Economically compulsive actors are not primarily motivate by impulses to act start violently qui te an, their primary motivation is to fuck off money to purchase drugs (pg. 279). The final model regarding systemic violence refers to the traditionally aggressive patterns of interaction within the system of drug distribution and use (pg. 280). In this model, individuals within the system or hierarchy are wedded to violence in the form of disputes, robberies, and punishments due to the illegality of the drug.In my own opinion, I see drug violence occurring due to the simple processes of an industry or grocery. out-of-pocket to the fact that drugs are illegal and in such advanced demand, the market itself works to create tension and violence. I agree with Goldstein and his economic compulsive model, but argue that the prices and accessibility are so juicy due to such a large demand of illegal substances. Without the demand, prices would drop, availability would rise, and the amount of violence would be reduced as well.There are many costs related to the close relationship be tween drugs and violence. For one, the drug consumption and distribution from conspiracys is becoming more violent and increasingly prevalent. Due the illegality and potential profit, gangs became systemically involved in the distribution of drugs and the violence that comes along with it (pg. 267). at heart the system of drug distribution, gangs have both pecuniary and personnel costs.The financial costs arise from competition and all the resources utilise to gain the velocity hand. The personnel costs brinyly come about due to gang wars and the enforcement of the law. One final cost comes at the expense of the community, where neighborhoods involved with drug distribution are more likely to be surrounded by illicit activities and violence. check to Paul Goldstein, Previous research indicates that the most leafy vegetable victims of this form of drug related violence are people residing in the same neighborhoods as the offender (pg. 279).As I stated before, there many reason s responsible for the violence and crime associated with drugs. The premier and most self-explanatory is the fact that drug use and the distribution of drugs are illegal. The second cheek of violence comes from the prohibition and interest groups that continue to inflict harsh penalties on drug use. The third and final reason is that both drugs and crime helping common causes (OBrien Lecture). This final reason is the most important because it points to the fact that the U.S has glum into a drug culture, not for one particular reason, but rather the relationship between drugs and violence.Although drugs and violence have been increasingly prevalent in U.S society lately, there are a few solutions or travel we can take to reduce the amount. In a perfect world, I would suggest a reduced role of politico-moral entrepreneurs in order to change magnitude the prohibition measures, which create so lots of the tension. But unfortunately we do not live in a perfect world, so sort of I suggest changing the drug laws to reduce the amount of trafficking and availability of the drug. Once again, with less restrictions and more availability the gangs and drug lords would have much less of a demand and thus less violence.According to the article, The complaisant Construction of Drug Scares, author Craig Reinarman states that there are three main elements to a drug scare. They are the kernel of righteousness, media magnification, and politico-moral entrepreneurs (pg. 43). A kernel of truth refers to the fact that, in virtually all cultures and historical epochs, there has been fitting ingestion of consciousness- modifying chemicals (pg. 43). That is, the kernel of truth looks at the big picture and views drug use as a natural occurrence through out history. Media magnification argues that, The media dramatize drug problems, as they do new(prenominal) problems, in the course of their routine news-generating and sales-promoting procedures (pg. 43).This points to how the mass media takes small cases of re-occurring drug use and turns it into an pestiferous or drug scare. The media thus acts as a promoter for the largeness of the kernel of truth and how it should be interpreted. The final element to a drug scare are the politico-moral entrepreneurs, whos personal interests outweigh societies when it comes to the regulation of drugs. According to Craig Reinarman, political elites typically find that drugs allow them to deflect attention from other more systematic sources of reality problems (pg. 44). In this case, politico-moral entrepreneurs have the power to alter the thought process of an entire culture in relation to drugs (ex. Ronald Regan).When it comes to the public reaction of drug scares, the mass media and politico-moral entrepreneurs are the most influential (pg. 45). They require the public ideals and beliefs about drugs, as well as, advocate towards a moderateness culture. The media tries to present conscious-altering chemicals as a loss of self-self control. Because the U.S. developed from a temperance culture, self-control was both central to religious world views and a characterological necessity for economic survival and success in the capitalist market (pg. 45). Thus, the general public essentially responds to drug scares however the media portrays it to be.A good example of the medias bias and influential impact on drug scares can be seen in the case of salvia divinorium in the coup guide States. Although many medical researchers believe that salvia can be used as a medicinal substance, the government is in the process of prohibition the drug for all social/recreational use (OBrien Lecture). In this case, the medias magnification of salvia as a drug scare has led to an all or nothing attitude regarding the drug. Instead of regulating and suppressing the forbid attributes of the drug, we have been led to believe that the drug is pure evil (OBrien Lecture). In order to reduce the frequency of drug sc ares in our culture, we must first reduce the factual/selection bias of the mass media.