Secondary abstract: |
As first, this thesis presents the theory that served as basis for drug use and abuse study and for data gathering on drug-related criminal offences in the European Union Member States (cultivation, harvesting, sales, transport, use, possession, and financing of drug-related operations).
As second, there is a short presentation of applicable international and Slovenian legislation, and a description of illicit (narcotics, depressors, stimulants, hallucinogens) as well as non-prohibited (alcohol, tobacco) psychoactive substances (drugs).
The empirical part of thesis examines drug-related criminal offences. Based on statistical data of the European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics (ESB), the data on drug-related criminal offences are shown per 100,000 inhabitants. Data on unemployment rate, gross domestic product (GDP), and the Gini inequality index were obtained from the Word Bank and European Statistical Office (Eurostat) databases.
Six hypotheses were tested, namely, on the connections of drug related crime offences with gross domestic product, with level of social inequality measured by Gini index, with rate of unemployment, with total crime rate, and with crime rate of murder. Linear trends of drug related crime offences were computed and presented. Older member states of EU were unpaired with transitional states which joined EU after 2004.
Data review and computations showed correlations of drug-related crime offenses with common crime rate, and with gross domestic product. No correlations were found with crime rate of murder, with level of social inequality, and with unemployment rate.
Additional efforts will be necessary for the verification of and supplements to theoretical and empirical parts. Firstly, modern theories on alcohol and drug (ab)use will need to be surveyed. Secondly, other types of data on expansion of drug-related crime offences will need to be studied (self-report studies and victimological studies), including official health statistics, psychiatric and social care establishments. At least in addition to descriptive statistics, the multivariate statistical methods will need to be applied. |