In the United States, illegal drug use can be linked to crime, especially violent crime, in many ways. Possessing, manufacturing and distributing drugs is a crime in itself and exposes someone to the possibility of abusing them. There are also drug-related crimes, such as drug trafficking and production, which have long been a problem, especially in Mexico, where drug cartels are the leaders, crime is highly organized and gangs practice violence in the majority part of the cases. The statistics prove it. that in 2002 in the United States, about “one-quarter of those convicted of property and drug crimes in local jails had committed their crimes to obtain drug money, compared to 5 percent of violent and law-and-order offenders.” For state prisoners (in 2004) the situation was much the same: "Property (30%) and drug (26%) offenders were more likely to commit their crimes for drug money compared to violent people (10%) and criminals against public order (7%).” However, these statistics took a different turn when considering the federal prison system, where "property offenders (11%) were less than half as likely as drug offenders (25%) to report drug money as the motive for their crimes" (Wikipedia, 2010). In 2004, a very small percentage of inmates in state and federal prisons had actually committed their first crime to obtain money for drug purchases; however, these numbers are increasing gradually over the years. Patients presenting to two emergency rooms in Canada with violence-related injuries were often found to be "alcohol intoxicated" and were significantly more likely to test positive for benzodiazepines (most commonly temazepam) than to other groups of individuals, while other drugs were found to be insignificant in relation to violent injuries." Ethanol is the most accessible intoxicating substance in or... middle of paper... angry but more often than not it produces a much more violent. A drug like Rohypnol can make abusers forget who they really are and what they are doing. “It has been proposed that criminal and violent acts caused by benzodiazepine abuse may be related to low serotonin levels through enhanced GABAergic effects” (Wikipedia, 2010). “There is no consensus regarding any direct or even indirect connection between drug use and violence” (Boyd, Elliott, Gaucher, 69). There is, however, a link between drug use and crime in general, but not violent crime.” The role of drug use in interpersonal violence has been underestimated. The drugs of greatest significance are usually legal – primarily alcohol and prescription drugs” (Boyd, Elliott, Gaucher, 69). itself to be responsible for the violence.