According to socially defined deviance, a person that deviates from the norms of society is a deviant. This departure from the socially accepted norms and culture makes any abnormal or different behavior deviance and as the use of drugs is frowned upon in every society, this would make drug abuse deviance. Drug abuse is an illicit activity, people involved in drug abuse are a risk to themselves and the others around them. They cannot act according to societal norms and are driven by their addiction to extreme states of action to fulfill the said addiction. Addiction, if not fulfilled can lead to other crimes such as violence and theft, which means substance abuse leads to other social deviances and if not addressed properly can lead to more harmful situations. Even though drug abuse may start as a coping mechanism, it eventually leads to a darker path, and this darker path in sociological terms is labeled “deviance” (Abrams).
How does inadequate legislation facilitate business crime?
Inadequate legislature leaves holes in the law making it open to exploitation. Crimes like Ponzi Schemes, tax evasion, money laundering, environmental crimes, larceny, and embezzlement are a few examples. There is no clear law against Ponzi schemes, these days known as Multi-level Marketing (MLM), due to this many naïve people are tricked into “investing” their hard-earned money in hopes of making easy cash. Over the years hundreds of these schemes have emerged and due to lack of proper legislature, there is no stopping them. Tax evasion is another huge example of inadequate legislation as it is highly complicated, frequently changed, and is an uncoordinated measure to respond to the different political situations and revenue opportunities. These frequent changes leave loopholes in the law and gives a disproportionate advantage to the individuals and corporations that are already privileged by the system (Vander Beken & Balcaen, 2006).
References
Abrams, D. (n.d.). Deviance. Retrieved July 31, 2021, from sociology: https://www.britannica.com/topic/deviance
Vander Beken, T., & Balcaen, A. (2006). Crime Opportunities Provided by Legislation in Market Sectors: Mobile Phones, Waste Disposal, Banking, Pharmaceuticals. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research, 12(3), 299–323. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-006-9025-0
