1- Kegler SR, Simon TR, Zwald ML, Chen MS, Mercy JA, Jones CM, Mercado-Crespo MC, Blair JM, Stone DM, Ottley PG, Dills J. Vital Signs: Changes in Firearm Homicide and Suicide Rates – United States, 2019-2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022 May 13;71(19):656-663. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7119e1. PMID: 35550497; PMCID: PMC9098246.
This article is based on changes in firearm homicide and suicide rates in the United States. The majority of homicides in 2020 were 79% while suicides were 53%, which in each of these cases involved a firearm. The high increase in homicides and suicides with firearms and the inequalities by race and ethnicity and the level of poverty concerned public health, which this study also coincided with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The article also explains that from 2019 to 2020, the general rate of homicides with firearms increased by 34.6%, from 4.6 to 6.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. Most of these increases occurred among non-Hispanic Black or African American men ages 10 to 44, which also shows that firearm homicide rates were lowest and rose least at the lowest poverty level and were highest and showed larger increases in higher poverty levels.
2- Sarao, S. (2017). The war on drugs: One approach to reduce overdose deaths in New York city. Kennedy School Review, 17, 35-40. Retrieved from https://bmcc.ezproxy.cuny.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/war-on-drugs-one-approach-reduce-overdose-deaths/docview/2188098883/se-2
The article is based on different options that help reduce deaths in New York City caused by drug overdoses. Two of the years when the medical and police industries came together to fight drug overdoses and deaths were 2011 and 2012, as it had an excellent anti-overdose fighting effect. This union was very good as it reduced the number of people using over-the-counter pain relievers and reduced deaths. This shows that by these two great institutions cooperating they can achieve great things which says that you should see a better alliance both now and in the future. Another thing that the article shows is that there should be a better way to analyze the trend among overdose incidents to be better examined, the gaps between the responsibilities of the agency should be eliminated, which means not leaving the responsibilities only to the forces of order, and there should be a better guarantee of follow-up on people who have had a serious situation with drugs.
3- Frazer, E., Mitchell, R. A., Nesbitt, L. S., Williams, M., Mitchell, E. P., Williams, R. A., & Browne, D. (2018). The Violence Epidemic in the African American Community: A Call by the National Medical Association for Comprehensive Reform. Journal of the National Medical Association, 110(1), 4-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2017.08.009
In this article, the author writes about the epidemic of violence in the African American community which explains that according to the statistics of the Centers for Disease Control, the main cause of death among black men between the ages of 10 and 35 is homicide, which indicating a higher rate of violence than any other group. This article also mentions how black women are four times more likely to be killed by a boyfriend or girlfriend than their white counterparts. In addition, two of the problems that lead adolescents from these African American communities to commit suicide are anxiety and depression. Gang violence, intimate partner violence, and child abuse, as well as excessive use of force by police, are important subsets of violence in the African American community that affect it the most. that unequally and disproportionately affect communities of color.
4- Gatti, U., Tremblay, R. E., Vitaro, F., & McDuff, P. (2005). Youth gangs, delinquency and drug use: A test of the selection, facilitation, and enhancement hypotheses. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46(11), 1178-1190. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.00423.x
In this article, the author writes about three different applications for the observation that adolescent gang members report more criminal behavior than their non-gang counterparts. These applications are based on the fact that adolescents who commit more crimes join gangs, gang membership facilitates deviant behavior, and the interactive selection and facilitation work. The results of these observations showed gang members to have a much higher rate of criminal behavior and drug use than non-gang members. This article also shows how in the United States they have revealed that young people who belong to a gang commit more crimes than those who do not, and that this difference is greater in terms of serious crimes and violent crimes.
5- Cohen, A., Vakharia, S. P., Netherland, J., & Frederique, K. (2021). How the war on drugs impacts social determinants of health beyond the criminal legal system. Annals of Medicine, 54(1), 2024-2038. https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2022.2100926
This article shows how the war on drugs negatively affects the health and well-being of many people, which also affects the community, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and people of color who already experience structural challenges that include discrimination., disinvestment and racism. This article also shows how the war on drugs has subjected millions of people to criminalization, imprisonment, and lifelong criminal records, interrupting or completely eliminating their access to adequate resources and supports to live a healthy life.
