Vice activities are practices, behaviors, or habits that are generally considered wrong in a society. They are usually associated with a fault in a persons character or temperament rather than their morality. Vices can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhealthy habit. Some examples of vice activities include:
- Prostitution: engaging in sexual activity for payment.
- Illegal sale/use of alcoholic beverages: selling or using alcoholic beverages without a license or outside of legal hours.
- Illegal gambling: participating in or organizing gambling activities that are not authorized by law.
- Distribution or sale of obscene or pornographic material: selling or distributing material that is considered obscene or pornographic and is illegal under the law.
- Drug use: using illegal drugs or using legal drugs in a way that is not authorized by law.
Vice activities are often investigated by law enforcement agencies, and some jurisdictions treat them as a separate category in the criminal codes. Police departments may have a vice squad or vice detectives who focus on finding and capturing individuals engaging in illicit activities. The vice squad is generally responsible for enforcing laws concerning gambling, pornography, prostitution, and the illegal use of liquor and narcotics. The suppression of illegal vice-related activity is accomplished through proactive investigations using intelligence, surveillance, confidential informants, and undercover operations.
