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Essay / Drug Use: The Relationship Between Drugs and Drugs
Many users of illegal drugs do not commit any other type of crime, and many people who commit crimes never use illegal drugs. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NCADD) states that the most intense levels of drug use, drug abuse, and crime are directly and strongly correlated and that severe drug use can amplify and perpetuate criminal activity pre-existing. As the sale and use of crack and cocaine became more popular, the need for more gang members became necessary. This has led to more young people involved in the underground being exposed not only to drugs but also to violence. According to Skolnick and colleagues, “these new criminal gangs were organized and actively involved in street drug sales. The Bloods and Crips increasingly looked like criminal gangs designed to sell drugs. They benefited from the advantage of being able to sell cocaine in the neighborhoods they controlled, without intrusion from competition. They had a territorial monopoly, backed by force and motivated by the escalation of violence in Los Angeles. Our country's youth are not only driven to use drugs by gangs and poverty. Many members of the middle and upper classes gravitated toward the music festival scene. However, these festivals are not always just for listening. For some, music festivals are an opportunity to get away from life, party with friends and experiment with a wide range of illicit drugs (Billboard). The music festival environment shows that music plays a vital role in the growth of the country's youth, regardless of their economic status. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution clearly states that we, as citizens, have the right to speak, publish, pray, or assemble in protest against anything we wish. Rap lyrics in scrap,