How is drug use associated with aggressive behavior?(New Research)

Drug use is often associated with aggression and violence, although the reasons for the association are not always clear, according to an article published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. Intoxication, neurotoxic, and withdrawal effects are often confused or confounded, say authors from the University of Western Ontario, and often the potential for violence depends as much (or more) on the pre-existing personality traits of the user as on the pharmacological properties of the drug.

Researchers Peter N.S. Hoaken and colleagues review the literature on the association between drug use and aggressive behavior, noting that there are at least four different reasons for the relationship: crimes may be committed to get drugs or to get the resources needed to purchase drugs; violence is often a means of resolving disputes in the illegal drug trade; violence and drug use both may result from the same factors, such as high sensation-seeking in drug users; and drugs can increase the likelihood of violence because of their direct effects on the user. The authors review the links between various drugs and violence/aggression, specifically addressing direct pharmacologic effects, neurotoxic effects and withdrawal effects.

Alcohol: Crime studies consistently implicate alcohol intoxication as one of the most significant factors in violent behavior. A large-scale review of 26 studies …