This article explores the heroin/crime relationship in Australia by drawing across data from three reports produced by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. It is contended that the relationship between heroin use and crime is best understood in terms of the antecedents and consequences of regular heroin use, and the social context in which both drug use and crime occur. It is argued that causal theories have “camouflaged” these factors. The implications for policy are briefly reviewed.
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