Cocaine is one of the most used natural stimulant in the world. Trafficking and use of cocaine in the United States and many countries across the world is illegal. However, due to economic gains from cocaine related trade and its addiction among the users, results in high cases of crime and violence among the traffickers and even users. Most of it comes from South American countries such as Colombia, Peru, and Honduras. Mexico has been widely used by drug cartels for trafficking cocaine into the United States (Fukumi, 2008). Drug business, use, addiction, and drug related crime are some of the most intractable social issues that the United States is currently facing. The relationship between cocaine with crime and violence has been a topic of continuous interest to policy makers and scholars. There are various ways in which crime and violence is highly related with cocaine such as violence among the cocaine traffickers, and violence between the authorities and cocaine traffickers, and criminal activities among the users.
The relationship between cocaine with crime and violence is evident because drug cartels often are involved in violence with the authorities and other rivals drug cartels for the control of cocaine territories and distribution markets (Rahtz, 2012). Cocaine drug cartels often quarrel among themselves for the control of distribution routes to special markets such as in the United States and Europe. Most cartels have heavy and dangerous weapons that they use to protect themselves from their rivals and the authorities. Moreover, drug cartels especially in Mexico and in the United States engage the authorities in violence fights especially when the authorities want to suppress the activities of cocaine traffickers (Fukumi, 2008). Violent cases between has been reported in various cities across the United States such as Detroit. Local drug gangs have often had violent fights with their rivals and the authorities.
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Another relationship between cocaine with crime and violence is that cocaine is a very addictive drug. This results in cocaine addicts ending taking part in criminal activities such as robbery, and murder to sustain the cocaine need. Cocaine is considered an expensive drug. Since the addicts end up being economically weak to work and gain some money to sustain their need, they decide to engage in crime and other unlawful activities (Rahtz, 2012. For instance, cocaine addicts resort into taking part in prostitution, human trafficking activities, and illegal sale of firearms to acquire money to buy cocaine. In addition, the street users engage in petty criminal activities such as shoplifting to generate cash. Women cocaine addicts often trade in sex for drugs or money to sustain their addiction.
High dependency on cocaine has been blamed on high cases of homicides. Cocaine causes an individual to start hallucinating. Moreover, cocaine like alcohol causes misjudgment especially when driving. This can lead to the cocaine user causing accidents which is regarded as a serious crime based on the United States department of justice laws (The Telegrapgh, 2009). In addition, some people may resort to using cocaine by assuming that it will relieve them off stress or help them overcome depression. As a result, they end up committing homicides and even killing their whole families or the people around them.
In a nutshell, the relationship between cocaine with crime and violence is exists in various scenarios such as violence among the cocaine traffickers, and violence between the authorities and cocaine traffickers, and criminal activities among the users. Cocaine drug cartels regularly engage in violence fights with their rivals and also with government authorities. Cocaine users commonly engage in criminal activities to sustain their demand for cocaine.
