Assignment:
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read your textbook, the required articles, Why the Opioid Epidemic May Have Fueled America's Murder Spike and Opioid Epidemic So Dangerous, Says CDC, It's Finally Killing More People Than Guns, and watch the video: Warning: This Drug May Kill You. The opioid crisis has become a controversial issue but one that is becoming harder and 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, the opioid crisis is an issue that criminal psychologists, public health professionals, and our community-at-large are examining the implications, the most crucial of which appears to be a relationship between homicide/violent crime rates and opioid abuse. In your discussion,
Conduct additional research on the opioid crisis using the University of Arizona Global Campus to ensure you are aware of the latest issues in the opioid crisis national debate. Then, briefly debate the issue with your classmates. Your instructor will assign you to one of the two prompts. Please debate the issue from the perspective that:
Prompt 1: Physicians have caused the opioid crisis by over-prescribing pain medications that are highly addictive, and
Prompt 2: From the perspective that the person taking the opiates is responsible for the person's 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.
Introductory Case Study: Greg's Alcohol Addiction
Greg is a 47-year-old construction worker and divorced father of two high school-aged children (whom he rarely sees). Greg enjoys his job and has an exemplary work record; in fact, he was recently awarded Employee of the Month. Greg's coworkers do not know a lot about him due to the fact that he is a private person and keeps to himself. But he joins them one or two nights a week for happy hour after work.
What Greg's coworkers don't know about him is that he had a rough childhood, which has led to him being very private and a loner. Greg's parents were heavy drinkers while he was growing up, which led to Greg having very few friends and not performing well in school. Greg's school troubles continued when he went to college, and he was not able to obtain a degree.
Greg found employment, married, and became a father, so it appeared that things were going well for him. Greg, though, has a secret-he is a heavy drinker himself. He enjoys going home after work and having a couple of beers, but a couple turned into 6 to 12 per night. This alcohol dependence eventually led his wife to seek a divorce.
Greg continued his alcohol dependence after his wife left him. He would become upset if there was not enough beer in the refrigerator, and he would go out and purchase more. In fact, one night he went out to purchase more and, when he got to the convenience store, realized he forgot his wallet. Instead of going home to retrieve his wallet, Greg chose to steal a six-pack of beer. He was caught attempting to leave the store without purchasing the beer. But the owner declined to press charges against Greg since he was a regular customer and the owner feared he might lose Greg's business.
Greg started a dating a woman he met at a bar 18 months ago. She describes Greg as a warm and caring man but notes that he can act moody and cold toward other people on occasion. But she also states that she believes Greg suffers from some depression, due to not having a relationship with his children (which he will not discuss). She states that she has noticed throughout their relationship that Greg becomes restless and has trouble sleeping if he does not drink at least three or four beers after work. She states that she really cares for Greg and has considered asking him to slow down on his drinking or quit altogether but fears the repercussions of this request.
As you read this chapter, consider the following questions regarding this case:
1. Do you think Greg has an addiction to alcohol?
2. Are other people affected by his alcohol use?
3. Where did Greg get his opinions about drinking?
4. Do you think there is an underlying psychological disorder or genetic vulnerability that is influencing Greg's drinking?
5. Is Greg's current attitude about alcohol use reasonable?
6. Do you think Greg is at risk for future criminal behavior?
Attachment:- Drugs, Alcohol, and Crime.rar