ALCOHOL ALSO FUELS VIOLENT CRIME

Illegal drugs root of violent crime, Letter, Feb. 23.

Norman Gardner contends that illegal drug use is the cause of up to 80
per cent of violent crimes. While research indicates there is an
association, it remains unclear the degree to which illicit drug use
may actually cause violence. In fact, some Canadian research indicates
violent crime may be more strongly associated with the use of alcohol.
Many other factors, like socio-economic status, likely also play a
role, and probably only a fairly small percentage of crimes can be
said to be attributable exclusively to the use of illicit drugs.

Dr. Lorne Korman

Head, Anger and Addiction Clinic,

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto