The Relationship between Drug Availability and Use at Micro-Geographic Units of Analysis

• In Event: Crime and Place: The Baltimore City Longitudinal Hot Spots Study

Abstract

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the community context of drug use. Extant research suggests drug availability has no significant influence on rates of drug use in communities. This paper seeks to go beyond previous studies to examine how respondents’ perceptions of drug availability on their block relates to drug use. Relying upon a sample of 4,000 in-person interviews nested in 450 street segments in Baltimore City, Maryland, we find a significant relationship between respondents’ drug use and whether they believe drugs are sold on their block even after controlling for selection factors.  These findings reinforce the importance of taking a more focused geographic approach to understanding how individuals might be influenced by environments.

Authors

• David Weisburd, George Mason University

• Matthew Nelson, George Mason University

• Brian Lawton, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Justin Ready, Griffith University