Drugs, alcohol and crime:

A survey of arrestees

Several studies have shown a strong correlation between alcohol abuse and violent crime in South Africa. The link between drugs and crime is less well known. A recent survey shows high levels of drug use among arrestees. Patterns however vary substantially between areas and among users in different age, race and gender groups.

The Medical Research Council and the Institute for Security Studies recently conducted a survey among arrestees in Gauteng, Cape Town and Durban. The 3-Metros Study, funded by the Department of Arts, Culture Science and Technology, is the first of its kind to test the link between drugs and crime in South Africa.

The study aims to track drug use over time, understand the factors influencing crime, and inform policy in the areas of law enforcement, crime prevention, health and welfare. Data is collected by surveying a random selection of arrestees in police holding cells and taking a sample of their urine for testing. All participation in the study is voluntary.

Laboratory tests are conducted both for HIV and drugs, including dagga, Mandrax, cocaine, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, opiates and LSD. The surveys, in all three cities, will be conducted at three points in time over a two year period. This article reports on the first of the three surveys.

Over a period of two weeks in August and September 1999, 970 arrestees were interviewed in nine police stations in Durban, Gauteng and Cape Town. The vast majority of arrestees (90%) that were approached agreed to participate in the study. As many gave their consent to have their urine tested.

Drugs/alcohol when committing crime

Arrestees were asked if they needed drugs or alcohol when they committed the alleged crime, whether they were actually under the influence and whether they used the substances to commit the crime. These questions shed light on whether people commit crime in order to sustain a drug habit, or whether the use of substances predisposes them to committing certain offences (or both).

Table 1 Drug/alcohol use when committing the alleged crime (%)

	Durban	Cape Town	Gauteng
In need of both drugs & alcohol	38.0	07.8	13.2
Alcohol	25.6	13.4	10.2
Drugs	12.0	4.2	1.7
Under influence of drugs & alcohol	40.6	36.9	14.2
Alcohol	28.2	29.8	11.7
Drugs	11.7	6.3	2.2
Used drugs/alcohol to commit crime	10.7	1.5	3.5

Arrestees were more likely to be under the influence when committing the alleged crime, than they were to be in need of drugs or alcohol (Table 1). Few arrestees said they used either substance to actually commit the crime. Alcohol was mentioned at least twice as often as drugs as the substance in question. Drugs (as opposed to alcohol) played a significantly greater role in Durban than in the other two sites. In fact the link between drugs/alcohol and committing an offence was strongest in Durban of all three cities.

Profile of drug users

Nearly half (49%) of arrestees in all three cities tested positive for at least one drug, including 44% for dagga, 25% for Mandrax and 4% for cocaine (Table 2). More arrestees tested positive in Cape Town than in the other sites: 60% in Cape Town for at least one drug compared with 52% in Durban and 35% in Gauteng. The only drug for which arrestees tested higher in Gauteng than Cape Town was cocaine.

Table 2 Arrestees testing positive for drugs (urinalysis) (%)

	Cape Town	Durban	Gauteng	Overall
Number tested	308	251	319	878
Any drug	60.1	52.2	34.8	48.6
Cannabis/dagga	56.9	46.6	31.3	43.6
Mandrax	40.6	27.5	8.2	25.1
Cocaine	3.2	4.0	4.7	4.0
Benzodiazepines	1.6	3.2	2.2	2.3
Amphetamines	0.3	0.4	0.0	0.2
Opiates	1.9	0.8	1.9	1.6
LSD	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

These differences can partly be attributed to demographics and corresponding drug use patterns, as well as the distribution of crime categories in the three sites. These patterns are outlined below:

In Gauteng 28% of respondents had been arrested for being an illegal immigrant. This group were much less likely to test positive for any drug than the general arrestee population: 22% for illegal immigrants versus 49% for the average arrestee.



African arrestees (who made up most of the Gauteng sample) were least likely to test positive for any drug: 41% for Africans compared with 48% for whites, 64% for coloureds and 67% for Asians/Indians (Figure 1).



Dagga was most likely to be detected among the Indian sample; Mandrax among coloured arrestees; cocaine and opiates among white arrestees and benzodiazepines among Indian arrestees (Figure 1).

The proportion testing positive for at least one drug was highest among arrestees 20 years old and younger, most of whom had taken dagga or Mandrax. They were however much less likely than older arrestees to test positive for cocaine.



Male arrestees were far more inclined to test positive for any drug than females (56% for men; 17% for women).



There were distinct differences between police stations. Much higher proportions of arrestees in Jabulani (Soweto) and Phoenix (Durban) tested positive for dagga than in other stations. At Hillbrow (Gauteng), CR Swart (Durban) and Sea Point (Cape Town) police stations 7%, 7% and 13% of arrestees respectively tested positive for cocaine. This was substantially higher than in any other stations.

The types of drugs associated with the various crimes differed. Cocaine for example featured prominently among those arrested for housebreaking, murder and robbery. Mandrax was most likely to be present in those arrested for housebreaking: 56% of these arrestees tested positive (Figure 2).

Levels of drug use (any drug) among those arrested for violent offences were similar in the three sites: 52% in Cape Town, 51% in Durban and 47% in Gauteng. Arrestees accused of property crimes were however far more likely to test positive for any drug in Cape Town (68%) than in Durban (43%) or Gauteng (36%) (Figure 3).

Antoinette Louw and Charles Parry
Institute for Security Studies and Medical Research Council