# Substance Use and Crime

Part of the Crime Prevention Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/crime-prevention/guide/index.md)

*8. Substance Use & Crime*

> **8.** Discuss the following with your counselor:

This requirement covers four topics connecting substance use to crime and prevention:

- **Legal and health consequences** of alcohol, tobacco and vaping, illegal drugs, and diverted prescription drugs
- **How substance use contributes** to violence, property crime, and victimization
- **How prevention and recovery programs** help prevent crime
- **How to get help** for yourself or someone you know

## Requirement 8a: Legal and Health Consequences

Every substance carries both legal penalties and health risks. Understanding both gives you the full picture of why substance use and crime are so closely connected.

### Alcohol

**Legal consequences for minors:**
- Underage possession or consumption is illegal in all 50 states
- Penalties include fines, community service, mandatory alcohol education, and suspension of driving privileges
- A Minor in Possession (MIP) charge goes on your record and can affect college applications, scholarships, and job opportunities
- Providing alcohol to minors is a separate crime for the person who supplies it

**Health consequences:**
- Impairs judgment, coordination, and reaction time
- Damages the developing brain — the brain continues developing until age 25, and alcohol can permanently affect memory, learning, and decision-making
- Risk of alcohol poisoning, which can be fatal
- Highly addictive — early use dramatically increases the risk of developing alcohol use disorder later in life

### Tobacco and Vaping Products

**Legal consequences:**
- Federal law prohibits the sale of tobacco and vaping products to anyone under 21
- Possession by minors is illegal in many states, with penalties including fines and mandatory education programs

**Health consequences:**
- Nicotine is highly addictive — most adult smokers started as teenagers
- Vaping delivers nicotine along with chemicals that damage lung tissue (EVALI — E-cigarette or Vaping product use-Associated Lung Injury has hospitalized thousands)
- Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, and chronic lung disease
- Secondhand smoke harms people nearby, especially children

### Illegal Drugs

**Legal consequences:**
- Possession, use, sale, and manufacturing of illegal drugs are all crimes
- Penalties range from fines and probation to years in prison, depending on the substance and quantity
- Drug convictions can result in loss of financial aid for college, loss of driving privileges, and a permanent criminal record
- Even in states where marijuana has been legalized for adults, it remains illegal for anyone under 21

**Health consequences by substance type:**

| Substance | Key Health Risks |
|---|---|
| Marijuana | Impaired memory and brain development, reduced motivation, lung damage from smoking |
| Cocaine/Crack | Heart attack, stroke, seizures, addiction, overdose death |
| Heroin/Opioids | Overdose death (leading cause of accidental death in the U.S.), severe addiction, collapsed veins |
| Methamphetamine | Extreme addiction, severe dental damage, psychosis, brain damage |
| Fentanyl | Extremely potent — a dose the size of two grains of salt can be fatal; often mixed into other drugs without the user's knowledge |

> **Safety First!**
>
> Fentanyl has changed the drug landscape dramatically. It is now mixed into counterfeit pills, cocaine, heroin, and other substances — often without the user's knowledge. There is no way to see, smell, or taste fentanyl, and an amount small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil can kill. This makes any use of illegal drugs significantly more dangerous than it was even a decade ago.

### Diverted Prescription Drugs

"Diverted" means prescription medications used by someone other than the person they were prescribed for, or used in ways not directed by a doctor.

**Legal consequences:**
- Possessing someone else's prescription medication is a crime
- Sharing, selling, or distributing prescription drugs carries felony penalties
- Doctor shopping (visiting multiple doctors to get extra prescriptions) is fraud

**Health consequences:**
- Prescription opioids (OxyContin, Vicodin) are highly addictive and are a common gateway to heroin use
- Prescription stimulants (Adderall, Ritalin) can cause heart problems, anxiety, and psychosis when misused
- Combining prescription drugs with alcohol or other drugs multiplies the risk of overdose

## Requirement 8b: Substance Use and Crime

Substance use and crime are deeply intertwined. The connection runs in multiple directions:

### Crimes Committed Under the Influence

Alcohol and drugs impair judgment, lower inhibitions, and increase aggression. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that approximately 40% of violent crimes involve an offender who was using alcohol at the time. Crimes committed under the influence include:

- Assault and domestic violence
- DUI/DWI (driving under the influence)
- Vandalism and property destruction
- Sexual assault

### Crimes Committed to Get Drugs

Addiction creates desperate need. People addicted to expensive substances may commit crimes to fund their habit:

- Theft, burglary, and robbery
- Prostitution
- Selling drugs to others
- Fraud and identity theft

### Drug-Related Crime

The illegal drug trade generates its own ecosystem of crime:

- Violent turf wars between drug organizations
- Weapons offenses
- Money laundering
- Corruption of public officials

### Becoming a Victim

Substance use also makes people more likely to *become* crime victims. Intoxicated individuals are easier to rob, assault, or exploit because their awareness and ability to defend themselves are compromised.

> **Did You Know?**
>
> The economic cost of substance abuse in the United States — including healthcare, criminal justice, lost productivity, and other factors — exceeds $600 billion per year. That's more than the GDP of most countries.

## Requirement 8c: Prevention and Recovery

Breaking the cycle between substance use and crime requires intervention at every stage — before use begins, during active use, and after treatment.

### Prevention Programs

- **School-based education** — Programs like Too Good for Drugs teach decision-making and refusal skills
- **Community coalitions** — Groups that bring together schools, law enforcement, faith organizations, and families to address substance use
- **Prescription drug take-back programs** — Safely disposing of unused medications so they can't be diverted
- **Public awareness campaigns** — Educating the public about the dangers of specific substances (especially fentanyl)

### Treatment and Recovery

- **Detoxification** — Medically supervised withdrawal from addictive substances
- **Rehabilitation** — Inpatient and outpatient programs that address the root causes of addiction
- **Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)** — Using FDA-approved medications alongside counseling to treat opioid and alcohol addiction
- **Support groups** — Programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Alateen provide ongoing peer support

### Drug Courts

Drug courts are specialized court programs that offer treatment instead of prison for non-violent drug offenders. Participants undergo supervised treatment, regular drug testing, and court appearances. Research shows drug courts reduce recidivism (re-offending) by 8–14% compared to traditional criminal processing.

## Requirement 8d: Getting Help

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, help is available — and asking for it is a sign of strength, not weakness.

**Crisis Resources** — Save these numbers — you may need them for yourself or a friend

- [ ] SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (free, confidential, 24/7)
- [ ] Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- [ ] National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
- [ ] Poison Control (for overdose): 1-800-222-1222
- [ ] Local emergency: 911

**Steps to take:**

1. **Talk to a trusted adult** — A parent, school counselor, doctor, Scout leader, or religious leader
2. **Call the SAMHSA helpline** (1-800-662-4357) for free referrals to treatment facilities, support groups, and counselors
3. **If someone is overdosing, call 911 immediately** — Most states have Good Samaritan laws that protect people who call for help during an overdose from drug possession charges

[SAMHSA National Helpline](https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline): Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information service for substance use and mental health.

![A school assembly with a speaker at a podium and a drug awareness banner, with attentive teenagers in the audience](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-800/mbu-assets/merit-badges/crime-prevention/guide/substance-prevention-community?v=6e500c46)

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