Drugs, violence, and federal funding: a research odyssey.

Two decades of research activity focusing on drugs/violence relationships are described. Initial interest in this area was kindled by field experiences. Literature review revealed a dearth of concepts and data. A tripartite conceptual framework was formulated to define drug-related violence. A series of empirical studies were undertaken to verify and elaborate the conceptual framework. Findings from these studies debunked prevailing mythology about drugs/violence relationships. Findings also demonstrated the usefulness of a public health perspective and the critical importance of collecting qualitative data in order to achieve a deeper understanding of these phenomena.