Public Opinion in Drug-Plagued Neighborhoods Towards Anti-drug Strategies

• NCJ Number: 162151
• Author(s): P J Lavrakas; S M Hartnett; D P Rosenbaum
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 10 pages
• Sale Source: Northwestern University; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC; Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Baltimore, Md., November 1990

Annotation

Public attitudes toward community antidrug programs in 6 high-risk neighborhoods were studied by means of telephone surveys of approximately 200 heads of households in each neighborhood.

Abstract

The neighborhoods were located in Chicago, Cleveland, New York City, Oakland, Calif., Hartford, Conn., and Waterloo, Iowa. The participants were selected at random in a geographically stratified manner from a reverse telephone directory. Participants were asked their opinions about 15 separate antidrug strategies being implemented or suggested for implementation in various parts of the country. Results revealed that participants support strong opportunity- reduction strategies aimed at the supply side of the problem and implemented through leadership of criminal justice agencies. Participants were less optimistic about demand- reduction strategies. They held diverse opinions about measures that suspend traditional due-process rights of drug suspects and those accused of drug law offenses. They do not support changing laws to make illegal drugs legal. Tables