# Did the Vietnam War cause a rise in crime in America? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 12, 2016, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-vietnam-war-cause-a-rise-in-crime-in-america/748714 "2016-03-12T02:53:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![protoboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-vietnam-war-cause-a-rise-in-crime-in-america/748714/1 "2016-03-12T02:53:58Z")
Do you think the high crime rates of the 70s, 80s and 90s in America had anything to do with the trauma the Vietnam War caused? The average age of a Vietnam War vet was 19 and even today they’re only about 65 years old, so the trauma would still have effected people born as late as the 2000s in a direct way, for example fathers who fought in the war taking their pain out on their children. Not only that but also the drinking and other ways of coping with the horrible memories I could see increasing the crime rate by exacerbating drug trading and alcohol abuse. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2016, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-vietnam-war-cause-a-rise-in-crime-in-america/748714/2 "2016-03-12T04:19:31Z")
It is my understanding a significant number of servicemen picked up heroin and other addictions in Vietnam. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-vietnam-war-cause-a-rise-in-crime-in-america/748714/3 "2016-03-13T05:47:25Z")
Nah, that was probably lead poisoning. Scroll down and look at the charts on the right column. > **[Sick Kids Are Just the Beginning of America’s Lead Crisis](https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-exposure-gasoline-crime-increase-children-health/)** > > The hidden villain behind violent crime, lower IQs, and the ADHD epidemic. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-vietnam-war-cause-a-rise-in-crime-in-america/748714/4 "2016-03-13T06:00:59Z")
Not in itself. However it was part of a general disrespect of law and authority in general. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-vietnam-war-cause-a-rise-in-crime-in-america/748714/5 "2016-03-13T11:36:01Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Not in itself. However it was part of a general disrespect of law and authority in general. Particularly among elements of society that “didn’t know their place”? ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2016, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-vietnam-war-cause-a-rise-in-crime-in-america/748714/6 "2016-03-13T11:53:18Z")
> [@protoboard](#): > > Do you think the high crime rates of the 70s, 80s and 90s in America had anything to do with the trauma the Vietnam War caused? The average age of a Vietnam War vet was 19 and even today they’re only about 65 years old, so the trauma would still have effected people born as late as the 2000s in a direct way, for example fathers who fought in the war taking their pain out on their children. > > Not only that but also the drinking and other ways of coping with the horrible memories I could see increasing the crime rate by exacerbating drug trading and alcohol abuse. High crime wasn’t a US phenomenon, it was worldwide. We even understand why now - [the explanation is scary but hundreds of scientists support it now and no one has come up wit a plausible alternative](http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/07/violent-crime-lead-poisoning-british-export). If anything, the stat you need to look at is suicide rates and the social policy change you should look at is higher criminal sentencing tariffs. Good luck with your essay.