Opioid Crisis and Violent Crimes Debate

Prior to beginning work on this discussion,

• read Chapter 9 in your textbook,
• read the webpage article Why the Opioid Epidemic May Have Fueled America’s Murder Spike: A Researcher Explains the Potential Link Between the Two Crises
• read the Forbes article Opioid Epidemic So Dangerous, Says CDC, It’s Finally Killing More People Than Guns
• watch the video: Warning: This Drug May Kill You

The opioid crisis has become a controversial issue that is becoming harder to ignore. In the context of the relationship between psychology and criminal behavior, substance abuse is one of the leading risk factors for criminal behavior. Therefore, criminal psychologists, public health professionals, and the community-at-large are examining the implications of the crisis, the most crucial of which appears to be a relationship between homicide and violent crime rates and opioid abuse.

For this discussion, conduct additional research on the opioid crisis using the University of Arizona Global Campus Library to ensure you are aware of the latest issues in the opioid crisis national debate. Then, briefly debate the issue with your classmates.

Choose one of the prompts below, and debate the issue from the perspective listed:

• Prompt 1: Physicians are responsible and have caused the opioid crisis by overprescribing pain medications that are highly addictive.
  • Remember to provide your insight into whether rising violent crime rates stems from the opioid crisis as asserted in your assigned readings.
• Prompt 2: The person taking the opiates is responsible for their own behavior and doctors should be able to prescribe whatever they want in any quantity they deem medically necessary.
  • Remember to provide your insight into whether rising violent crime rates stems from the opioid crisis as asserted in your assigned readings.
    

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