1. Drug-related crime. 65% for mothers and 58% for fathers. Cocaine/crack was the most common drug used: 45% for mothers and 26% for fathers. Nearly half of parents.
2. Like this video? Subscribe to our free daily email and get a new idiom video every day! Be cracking on 1. To continue (doing something) fervently, determinedly, or with great haste. We'd better keep cracking on if we want to get this analysis done in time. A: 'How Lisa doing?' B: 'Really well! She's still cracking on with her master's degree.'
3. RELATED: 6 Low-Cost Lifesavers to make Wall Repair a Cinch Causes of Cracks in Walls If your home was recently built, cracks in walls could be the results of “new home” settling.

1. Related Crack Smoking
2. Related Crackling
3. Related Crack Games
4. Crack Related Terms
5. Related Crack Minecraft

According to the NIDA, this drug-drug interaction is the most common two-drug combination that results in drug-related deaths. Extent of cocaine and crack abuse. The extent of cocaine use in youth is important to follow to see trends and changes in drug use - and drug choice - over time.

The 'crack epidemic' in the United States was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the United States between the early 1980s and the early 1990s.^[1] This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in American inner city neighborhoods, as well as a resulting backlash in the form of tough on crime policies.

History[edit]

The name 'crack' first appeared in the New York Times on November 17, 1985. Within a year more than a thousand press stories had been released about the drug. In the early 1980s, the majority of cocaine being shipped to the United States was landing in Miami, and originated in Colombia, trafficked through the Bahamas and Dominican Republic.^[1] Soon there was a huge glut of cocaine powder in these islands, which caused the price to drop by as much as 80 percent.^[1] Faced with dropping prices for their illegal product, drug dealers made a decision to convert the powder to 'crack', a solid smokeable form of cocaine, that could be sold in smaller quantities, to more people. It was cheap, simple to produce, ready to use, and highly profitable for dealers to develop.^[1] As early as 1981, reports of crack were appearing in Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, Miami, Houston, New York, and in the Caribbean.^[1]

Initially, crack had higher purity than street powder.^[2] Around 1984, powder cocaine was available on the street at an average of 55 percent purity for $100 per gram (equivalent to $246 in 2019), and crack was sold at average purity levels of 80-plus percent for the same price.^[1] In some major cities, such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Houston and Detroit, one dose of crack could be obtained for as little as $2.50 (equivalent to $6 in 2019).^[1]

According to the 1985–1986 National Narcotics Intelligence Consumers Committee Report, crack was available in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Memphis, Philadelphia, New York City, Houston, San Diego, San Antonio, Seattle, Baltimore, Portland, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Atlanta, Oakland, Kansas City, Miami, Newark, Boston, San Francisco, Albany, Buffalo, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

In 1985, cocaine-related hospital emergencies rose by 12 percent, from 23,500 to 26,300. In 1986, these incidents increased 110 percent, from 26,300 to 55,200. Between 1984 and 1987, cocaine incidents increased to 94,000. By 1987, crack was reported to be available in the District of Columbia and all but four states in the United States.^[1]

Some scholars have cited the crack 'epidemic' as an example of a moral panic, noting that the explosion in use and trafficking of the drug actually occurred after the media coverage of the drug as an 'epidemic'.^[3]

Later, the epidemic died down, as a new generation avoided the drug after seeing the powerfully destructive effects on a previous generation. Some died, some were jailed, but many tired of the side effects.^[4]

Impact by region[edit]

In a study done by Roland Fryer, Steven Levitt, and Kevin Murphy, a crack index was calculated using information on cocaine-related arrests, deaths, and drug raids, along with low birth rates and media coverage in the United States. The crack index aimed to create a proxy for the percentage of cocaine related incidents that involved crack. Crack was an almost unknown drug until 1985. This abrupt introductory date allows for the estimation and use of the index with the knowledge that values prior to 1985 are zero.^[dubious][5] This index showed that the Northeast U.S. was most affected by the crack epidemic. The U.S. cities with the highest crack index were New York, Newark and Philadelphia.

The same index used by Fryer, Levitt and Murphy^[6] was then implemented in a study that investigated the effects of crack cocaine across the United States. In cities with populations over 350,000 the instances of crack cocaine were twice as high as those in cities with a population less than 350,000. These indicators show that the use of crack cocaine was much higher in urban areas.

States and regions with concentrated urban populations were affected at a much higher rate, while states with primarily rural populations were least affected.^{[citation needed]} Maryland, New York and New Mexico had the highest instances of crack cocaine use, while Idaho, Minnesota and Vermont had the lowest instances of crack cocaine use.^{[citation needed]}

Crime[edit]

Between 1984 and 1989, the homicide rate for black males aged 14 to 17 more than doubled, and the homicide rate for black males aged 18 to 24 increased nearly as much. During this period, the black community also experienced a 20–100% increase in fetal death rates, low birth-weight babies, weapons arrests, and the number of children in foster care.^[7] The United States remains the largest overall consumer of narcotics in the world as of 2014.^[8][9]

A 2018 study found that the crack epidemic had long-run consequences for crime, contributing to the doubling of the murder rate of young black males soon after the start of the epidemic, and that the murder rate was still 70 percent higher 17 years after crack's arrival.^[10] The paper estimated that eight percent of the murders in 2000 are due to the long-run effects of the emergence of crack markets, and that the elevated murder rates for young black males can explain a significant part of the gap in life expectancy between black and white males.^[10]

The reasons for these increases in crime were mostly because distribution of the drug to the end-user occurred mainly in low-income inner city neighborhoods. This gave many inner-city residents the opportunity to move up the 'economic ladder' in a drug market that allowed dealers to charge a low minimum price.

Crack cocaine use and distribution became popular in cities that were in a state of social and economic chaos such as New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta. 'As a result of the low-skill levels and minimal initial resource outlay required to sell crack, systemic violence flourished as a growing army of young, enthusiastic inner-city crack sellers attempt to defend their economic investment.'^[11] Once the drug became embedded in the particular communities, the economic environment that was best suited for its survival caused further social disintegration within that city.

Sentencing disparities[edit]

In 1986, the U.S. Congress passed laws that created a 100 to 1 sentencing disparity for the possession or trafficking of crack when compared to penalties for trafficking of powder cocaine,^{[12][13][14][15]} which had been widely criticized as discriminatory against minorities, mostly African-Americans, who were more likely to use crack than powder cocaine.^[16] This 100:1 ratio had been required under federal law since 1986.^[17] Persons convicted in federal court of possession of 5 grams of crack cocaine received a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years in federal prison. On the other hand, possession of 500 grams of powder cocaine carries the same sentence.^[13][14] In 2010, the Fair Sentencing Act cut the sentencing disparity to 18:1.^[16]

In the year 2000, the number of incarcerated African Americans had become 26 times the amount it had been in 1983.^{[citation needed]}

In 2012, 88% of imprisonments from crack cocaine were African American. Further, the data shows the discrepancy between lengths of sentences of crack cocaine and heroin. The majority of crack imprisonments are placed in the 10–20 year range, while the imprisonments related to heroin use or possession range from 5–10 years which has led many to question and analyze the role race plays in this disparity.^[18]

Post epidemic commentary[edit]

In 2007, Memphis black writer Demico Boothe, who spent 12 years in federal prison after being arrested for the first-time offense of selling crack cocaine at the age of 18, published the book, 'Why Are So Many Black Men in Prison?' The book makes the same essential charges that are made in the better-known book published five years later by Michelle Alexander, cited below.^[19]

Writer and lawyer Michelle Alexander's book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness argues that punitive laws against drugs like crack cocaine adopted under the Reagan Administration's War on drugs resulted in harsh social consequences, including large numbers of young black men imprisoned for long sentences, the exacerbation of drug crime despite a decrease in illegal drug use in the United States, increased police brutality against the black community resulting in injury and death for many black men, women, and children.^[20]

According to Alexander, society turned into a racist criminal justice system to avoid exhibiting obvious racism. Since African Americans were the majority users of crack cocaine, it provided a platform for the government to create laws that were specific to crack. This was an effective way to imprison black people without having to do the same to white Americans. Thus, there was a discourse of African Americans and a perpetuated narrative about crack addiction that was villainous and problematic. The criminalizing of African American crack users was portrayed as dangerous and harmful to society.

Alexander writes that felony drug convictions for crack cocaine fell disproportionately on young black men, who then lost access to voting, housing, and employment opportunities. These economic setbacks led to increased violent crime in poor black communities as families did what they had to do to survive.

Alexander explains the process of someone who is caught with crack: first, the arrest and the court hearing that will result in jail or prison-time. Second, the aftermath of permanent stigmas attached to someone who has done jail-time for crack, like being marked a felon on their record. This affects job opportunity, housing opportunity, and creates obstacles for people who are left with little motivation to follow the law, making it more likely that they will be arrested again.

Dark Alliance series[edit]

San Jose Mercury News journalist Gary Webb sparked national controversy with his 1996 Dark Alliance series which alleged that the influx of Nicaraguan cocaine started and significantly fueled the 1980s crack epidemic.^[21] Investigating the lives and connections of Los Angeles crack dealers Ricky Ross, Oscar Danilo Blandón, and Norwin Meneses, Webb alleged that profits from these crack sales were funneled to the CIA-supported Contras.

The United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General rejected Webb's claim that there was a 'systematic effort by the CIA to protect the drug trafficking activities of the Contras'. The DOJ/OIG reported: 'We found that Blandon and Meneses were plainly major drug traffickers who enriched themselves at the expense of countless drug users and the communities in which these drug users lived, just like other drug dealers of their magnitude. They also contributed some money to the Contra cause. But we did not find that their activities were the cause of the crack epidemic in Los Angeles, much less in the United States as a whole, or that they were a significant source of support for the Contras.'^[22]

Influence on popular culture[edit]

Documentary films[edit]

• High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell (1995)
• Cocaine Cowboys (2006)
• Crackheads Gone Wild (2006)
• American Drug War: The Last White Hope (2007)
• Cocaine Cowboys 2 (2008)
• Freakonomics (2010)
• Planet Rock: The Story of Hip-Hop and the Crack Generation (2011)^[23]
• The Seven Five (2014)
• Freeway: Crack in the System (2015)
• 13th (2016)

Documentary serials[edit]

• Drugs, Inc. (2010–present)

Films[edit]

• Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987)
• Colors (1988)
• King of New York (1990)
• Boyz n the Hood (1991)
• Jungle Fever (1991)
• New Jack City (1991)
• Bad Lieutenant (1992)
• Deep Cover (1992)
• Menace II Society (1993)
• Above the Rim (1994)
• Fresh (1994)
• Belly (1998)
• Streetwise (1998)
• Training Day (2001)
• Paid in Full (2002)
• Shottas (2002)
• Dark Blue (2002)
• Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
• Notorious (2009)
• Life Is Hot in Cracktown (2009)
• The Fighter (2010)
• Kill the Messenger (2014)
• Moonlight (2016)
• White Boy Rick (2018)

Television[edit]

• Miami Vice (1984–1989)
• The Wire (2002–2008)
• Snowfall (2017–present)
• Cocaine Godmother (2018)
• Narcos: Mexico (2018-present)
• Wu-Tang: An American Saga (2019)
• Godfather of Harlem (2019-present)

Video games[edit]

• Narc (1988)
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
• True Crime: New York City (2005)
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006)
• Scarface: Money. Power. Respect. (2006)
• Scarface: The World Is Yours (2006)
• Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
• Hotline Miami (2012)

Research books[edit]

• Sudhir Venkatesh (Indian American sociologist scholar and reporter)
  • Freakonomics (2005) – Chapter: 'Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live With Their Moms'
  • American Project. The Rise and Fall of a Modern Ghetto, Harvard University Press, 2000
  • Off the Books. The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor, Harvard University Press, 2006
  • Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets, Penguin Press, 2008
  • Floating City: A Rogue Sociologist Lost and Found in New York's Underground Economy, Penguin Press, 2013

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdefgh'DEA History Book, 1876–1990' (drug usage & enforcement), US Department of Justice, 1991, USDoJ.gov webpage: DoJ-DEA-History-1985-1990.
2. ^The word 'street' is used as an adjective meaning 'not involving an official business location or permanent residence' such as: 'sold on the street' or 'street people' in reference to people who live part-time along streets.
3. ^Reinarman, C. and Levine, H. (1989). 'The Crack Attack: Politics and Media in America's Latest Drug Scare'. In J. Best (ed.). Images of Issues: Typifying Contemporary Social Problems. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link) see also Reeves, J. L. and Campbell, R. (1994). Cracked Coverage: Television News, the Anti-Cocaine Crusade, and the Reagan Legacy. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
4. ^Egan, Timothy (September 19, 1999). 'CRACK'S LEGACY: A special report; A Drug Ran Its Course, Then Hid With Its Users'. The New York Times.
5. ^Beverly Xaviera Watkins, et al. 'Arms against Illness: Crack Cocaine and Drug Policy in the United States.' Health and Human Rights, vol. 2, no. 4, 1998, pp. 42–58.
6. ^Fryer, Roland G., et al. 'Measuring Crack Cocaine And Its Impact.' Economic Inquiry, vol. 51, no. 3, July 2013, pp. 1651–1681., doi:10.1111/j.1465-7295.2012.00506.x.
7. ^Fryer, Roland (April 2006). 'Measuring Crack Cocaine and Its Impact'(PDF). Harvard University Society of Fellows: 3, 66. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
8. ^How bad was Crack Cocaine? The Economics of an Illicit Drug Market. Researched by Steven D. Levitt and Kevin M. Murphy [1].
9. ^The World FactbookArchived 2010-12-29 at the Wayback Machine. Cia.gov. Retrieved on 2014-05-12.
10. ^ ^abEvans, William N; Garthwaite, Craig; Moore, Timothy J (2018). 'Guns and Violence: The Enduring Impact of Crack Cocaine Markets on Young Black Males'.Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
11. ^Inciardi, 1994
12. ^Jim Abrams (July 29, 2010). 'Congress passes bill to reduce disparity in crack, powder cocaine sentencing'. Washington Post.
13. ^ ^abBurton-Rose (ed.), 1998: pp. 246–247
14. ^ ^abElsner, Alan (2004). Gates of Injustice: The Crisis in America's Prisons. Saddle River, New Jersey: Financial Times Prentice Hall. p. 20. ISBN0-13-142791-1.
15. ^United States Sentencing Commission (2002). 'Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy'(PDF). p. 6. Archived from the original(PDF) on July 15, 2007. Retrieved August 24, 2010. As a result of the 1986 Act ... penalties for a first-time cocaine trafficking offense: 5 grams or more of crack cocaine = five-year mandatory minimum penalty
16. ^ ^ab'The Fair Sentencing Act corrects a long-time wrong in cocaine cases', The Washington Post, August 3, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
17. ^Durbin's Fair Sentencing Act Passed By House, Sent To President For Signature, durbin.senate.gov. Retrieved September 30, 2010. Archived March 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
18. ^'Conclusions'(PDF). www.bjs.gov. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
19. ^Boothe, Demico (2007). Why Are So Many Black Men in Prison?. Full Surface Publishing. ISBN0979295300.
20. ^Alexander, Michelle (2012). The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. The New Press. ISBN1595586431.
21. ^Peter Kornbluh (Jan–Feb 1997). 'Crack, the Contras, and the CIA: The Storm Over 'Dark Alliance''. Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
22. ^https://oig.justice.gov/special/9712/ch12.htm#Chapter%20XII:
23. ^Viera, Bené (November 26, 2011). ''Planet Rock' Shows The Power Of Hip-hop'.

Further reading[edit]

• Reinarman, Craig; Levine, Harry G. (1997). Crack In America: Demon Drugs and Social Justice. University of California Press. ISBN978-0520202429.

Related Crack Smoking

External links[edit]

• DEA History in Depth (1985–1990), The Crack Epidemic at the DEA
• Oversight hearing of the DEA by the Subcommittee on Crime; July 29, 1999 at The House
• 'How Bad Was Crack Cocaine?' at the Booth School of Business
• 'Cracked up'; analysis of the epidemic at Salon

Medically reviewed:12/31/2018
Last updated: 03/26/2020
Author: Addictions.com Medical Review

Reading Time: 5minutes

What is Crack Addiction?

Crack cocaine is a highly potent and addictive stimulant processed from powdered cocaine and made to look like a rock crystal. Crack produces effects similar to that of powdered cocaine but comes with a higher number of health risks including lung trauma and bleeding. People who use crack are often more talkative, can stay awake for long periods of time, and complete tasks more quickly.

Crack is known to be highly addictive due to the way it produces an immediate, intense high that lasts between five and 10 minutes. After the drug’s effects wear off, people use more crack to maintain their euphoria, which causes them to build a tolerance. As people continue to use crack regularly in higher amounts, they become physically dependent and require a certain amount of crack to ward off withdrawal symptoms. The intense crash after use can be marked by mood swings, extreme fatigue, aggression, and other negative effects.

What are the Risks of Crack Addiction?

There are roughly 913,000 people in the U.S. who are diagnosed with cocaine use disorder, which includes crack addiction. Last year over 10,600 people in the U.S. died from a crack-related overdose. Crack is highly addictive, and even one time smoking it has been known to lead to addiction.

Crack became more widely used in the U.S. during the 1980s on behalf of the drug being relatively easy and inexpensive to produce. Crack is made by dissolving powdered cocaine into water combined with ammonia or baking soda and boiled until the drug forms into a solid substance that is dried and broken into rock crystals.

Today, an estimated 1.5 million Americans over the age of 12 are regular cocaine users. Crack addiction can be safely and effectively treated using drug detox and other therapies aimed at helping people overcome psychological symptoms and causes of addiction.

What are the Symptoms of Crack Addiction?

Crack cocaine use offers many of the same risks as powdered cocaine, along with additional risks caused by smoking the substance. Short-term effects of crack include:

• Intense “rush” of euphoria
• Increased energy level
• Talking more
• Hyper-stimulation
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
• Increased breathing rate
• Constriction of peripheral blood vessels
• Dilated pupils
• Decreased appetite
• Anxiety and paranoia
• Aggressive, paranoid behavior
• Depression
• Intense drug cravings
• Sudden death – even one use of crack can cause overdose and death

Prolonged use of crack can cause a number of problems for one’s physical and mental health. Crack use can lead to addiction, which is a chronic, relapsing disease that can take over many aspects of your life. The longer you use crack, the higher the potential for crack addiction becomes, and the more severe and the worse the long-term effects become, too.

Here are some potential long-term effects of crack abuse:

• Severe depression
• Irritability, mood disturbances
• Aggressive, paranoid behavior
• Delirium or psychosis
• Tolerance, addiction
• Auditory and tactile hallucinations
• Heart attack and heart disease
• Stroke
• Respiratory failure
• Brain seizures
• Sexual dysfunction (for men and women alike)
• Reproductive damage, infertility (men and women)
• Increased frequency of risky behavior
• Death

What are the Signs of Crack Addiction?

The short-term effects of crack cocaine often appeal to users who enjoy feeling more energetic, confident, and social. Crack can make people feel extremely happy, motivated, and stimulated, but can lead to aggression, irritability, and anxiety when used in high amounts.

Crack dependence can then quickly turn into an addiction, which is when a person continues using crack frequently and impulsively despite knowing it can lead to negative consequences. Crack addiction is often marked by changes in behavior that rule in favor of obtaining and using crack.

If you suspect someone is abusing crack, look for the signs of addiction.

Physical health-related warning signs of crack addiction:

Related Crackling

• Bloodshot eyes dilated pupils
• Changes in appetite
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Seizures without a history of epilepsy
• Deterioration of physical appearance, lack of hygiene and grooming
• Unexplained injuries or accidents
• Shakes, tremors, incoherent speech, impaired coordination

Behavioral symptoms of crack cocaine addiction:

• Increased absence from work or school, other responsibilities
• Loss of interest in activities that were previously found enjoyable
• Decreased motivation in general
• Unexplained and uncharacteristic need for money/financial problems; borrowing or stealing
• Withdrawn, secretive, or suspicious
• A sudden change in relationships, friends, places to hang out, and hobbies
• Getting into trouble often (arguments, fights, accidents, illegal activities)

Psychological crack addiction signs:

• Change in personality or attitude
• Sudden mood changes
• Irritability, angry outbursts, or laughing at nothing
• Periods of unusual hyperactivity or agitation
• Inability to focus, acting lethargic or ‘spacing out’
• Appearing fearful, withdrawn, anxious or paranoid without explanation

What to do if Someone You Love is Abusing Crack

Related Crack Games

Over time with repeated, regular crack use, the brain comes to rely solely on crack for dopamine and stops producing this chemical on its own. People who become dependent on crack will continue using the drug to experience pleasure, and face a higher risk for addiction as a result. A person is addicted to crack when their body becomes physically dependent on the drug, and they continue using crack despite knowing drug use will result in negative consequences, including health risks.

If you want to help someone through their addiction, try and open the lines of communication to them, but be prepared for them to be in denial about their habit. Working with a doctor or addiction specialist, you can set up an intervention for their crack addiction, to help get them into a treatment facility. Professional treatment is the best course of action to help someone suffering from crack addiction.

Crack Related Terms

Which Treatment Options are Available for Crack Addiction?

Long-term users of crack should seek out inpatient treatment facilities. These provide the best opportunities for overcoming your crack addiction and sustaining a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. Inpatient programs start with a drug detox, and include medical oversight, as well as behavioral therapy. Programs can range anywhere from 30 days to 90 days, with longer stays recommended for more severe addictions.

Related Crack Minecraft

If you or someone you love is struggling with crack cocaine addiction, seek help right away. Crack is a dangerous drug that can cause serious problems with one’s physical and mental health and can lead to a fatal overdose. But crack addiction treatment can help you or a loved one safely and fully overcome addiction.