title: Female narcotic addicts: a follow-up study of criminal and addiction careers.
abstract: A sample of 66 female narcotic addicts first examined in prison in 1967-8 was followed-up four years later. At the end of the period of follow-up 36% were off narcotics, 32% were still addicted, and 15% had died. Altogether 62% committed further offences. Drug offences and offences against property were almost equally frequent and accounted for over two-thirds of all convictions. There was no evidence of a link between prostitution and narcotic addiction. A significant association was found between continued delinquency and continued addiction during the period of follow-up. Addiction career and criminal career coincided in over three-quarters of the subjects, who tended either to continue manifesting both forms of deviant behaviour (46%) or to relinquish both (30%). The findings are in keeping with the view that narcotic addiction and crime are not causally related but may be parallel effects of common underlying factors leading to social deviance.
mesh_terms: D003415:Crime; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D003932:Heroin; D006556:Heroin Dependence; D006801:Humans; D008691:Methadone; D011477:Sex Work; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications; D006113:United Kingdom; D014754:Violence
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin; D008691:Methadone