Blog # 1--Substance Abuse - A Victimless Crime?

September 16, 2010
      A victimless crime is an illegal act without an obvious injured party.  Substance abuse, which includes Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD), falls under this category but a question is raised whether it is really a victimless crime?  It can be argued that the only person affected by substance abuse is the user because they are not violating anyone’s rights.  .  When an individual consumes AOD there isn’t someone that can be hurt or call the police on them because they have committed a crime against another individual.  With substance abuse becoming a growing problem can it still be said that it is a victimless crime?  No, because everyone that surrounds the individual that is consuming AOD is indirectly affected, therefore becomes a victim.    

      Substance abuse, specifically alcohol, has become extremely popular with teenagers.  Underage drinking has become an apparent problem throughout the world.  Looking at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) statistics in 2003 and 2004 it was reported that throughout the United States percentages of persons from ages of 12 to 20 that have consumed alcohol ranged from 18.63 percent and all the way up to 42.68 percent.  These children that start drinking at such an early age start to develop serious health problems by the time they are in their twenties.  In an “ Vodka, homework and me” , written by Jamie Berry, he writes about a teenager, Helen, who started drinking at an early age of thirteen.  She is now twenty-five years old and suffers from liver disease that was caused by alcohol consumption.  Helen has a 50 percent chance of surviving until the age of thirty.  Substance abuse may be identified as a victimless crime but it is far from that.  Helen has become a direct victim of her crime of substance abuse.