NCJ Number
138704
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 65 Issue: 3 Dated: (July-September 1992) Pages: 243- 246
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the evidence, including case histories, that some violent and homicidal behaviors stem from the ingestion of hallucinogenic drugs and obsessive listening to and involvement in rock music.
Abstract
Dr. Donald McI. Johnson refers to the work of the German toxicologist Louis Lewin to establish that certain drugs produce hallucinations, visions, and cerebral excitation, among them being Indian hemp and solanaceae. Johnson cites the Report of the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission of 1893-94 and the Marijuana Problem in the City of New York by the Mayor's Committee on Marijuana (1944) as further evidence of the dire effects of cannabis on the human brain. Instances of homicide are cited where the offender was under the influence of cannabis intoxication. This article also reviews a letter by a Christian minister who interviewed a Sri Lankan boy who killed both his parents and a servant the evening after an afternoon of listening to the rock group Judas Priest. The pastor wrote a private circular letter to parents and teachers after an interview with the boy to warn them of the dangers of children who become involved in the cult of rock music. The letter warns that rock music appeals to violent and vile emotions which can then cause destructive behaviors. This article concludes that although there is authentic scientific proof that certain drugs, ingested orally, are sufficiently toxic to cause insanity, there is no proof as yet that the world of rock music, imbibed by aural means, is of equal toxicity. 11-item bibliography