THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DRUGS AND CRIMINALITY: A CRIMINOLOGICAL AND LEGAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The increase in crime, highlighted in several studies, has several factors, among which drug trafficking stands out. As it is a crime with great profitability for the perpetrators, trafficking gives rise to a series of criminal organizations that function in an organized manner, maintaining themselves mainly through the practice of new crimes, among which are those committed through violence or serious threats. Given this scenario, this research aimed to present the relationship between drug trafficking and crime rates in Brazil. In methodology, it was a bibliographical review, based on selected books and scientific studies and jurisprudence, whose time frame was between 2018 and 2023 found in databases such as Scielo and Google Scholar. In the results, it was clear that it is not possible to attribute the increase in violence to repression measures, as it would be the most effective means of reducing crimes. On the other hand, it is also understood that drug use is a social problem that is not limited to users' health issues, but results in a serious criminal issue, since, due to the measures taken to combat illegal trafficking, a lot of violence affects the community, which ends up being involved in the issue when living in places taken over by crime. The continuity of the rates, even after several years of the drug law being in force, would be indicative of the need to update mechanisms to combat trafficking.