Crack Cocaine

The crack epidemic refers to a six year period between 1984 and 1990 in the United States during which there was a huge surge in the use of crack cocaine in major cities, and crack-houses all over the USA. Fallout from the crack epidemic included a huge surge in addiction, homelessness, murder, theft, robbery, and long-term imprisonment. The first effects of the epidemic started in the early 1980s, but the DEA officially classifies the time of the epidemic starting in 1984 and ending in 1990, in what can be considered to be the height of the epidemic. Download high resolution version (1768x1960, 488 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1768x1960, 488 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article is about the year. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... A pile of crack cocaine ‘rocks’. Crack Cocaine is a highly addictive form of cocaine that is popular for its intense high. ... Heroin bottle An addiction is a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences to the individuals health, mental state or social life. ... A homeless person in Paris. ... A young waif steals a pair of boots “Stealing” redirects here. ... A prison is a place in which people are confined and deprived of a range of liberties. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... The DEAs enforcement activities may take agents anywhere from distant countries to suburban U.S. homes. ...

The epidemic affected all major American cities. Among the cities most severely impacted were Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and New York. According to New York Senator Charles Schumer, "Twenty years ago, crack was headed east across the United States like a Mack truck out of control, and it slammed New York hard because we just didn't see the warning signs." Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Charles Ellis Chuck Schumer (born November 23, 1950) is a Jewish American politician. ... A pile of crack cocaine ‘rocks’. Crack Cocaine is a highly addictive form of cocaine that is popular for its intense high. ... Mack Trucks is a famous United States truck manufacturing company, now owned by Volvo. ...

History

In the early 1980s, the majority of cocaine being shipped to the United States, landing in Miami, was coming through the Bahamas.^[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 shrewd business 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, San Diego, Houston, and in the Caribbean.^[1] The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... These lollipops, above, were found to contain heroin when inspected by the US Drug Enforcement Administration In jurisdictions where legislation restricts or prohibits the sale of certain popular drugs, it is common for an illegal drugs trade to develop. ... These lollipops, above, were found to contain heroin when inspected by the US Drug Enforcement Administration In jurisdictions where legislation restricts or prohibits the sale of certain popular drugs, it is common for an illegal drugs trade to develop. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney         City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin... Houston redirects here. ... West Indies redirects here. ...

Initially, crack had higher purity than street powder (until crack later became "blow-up" or "whip dope").^[2] Around 1981, powder cocaine was available on the street at an average of 55 percent purity for $100 per gram, 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, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Philadelphia, one dosage unit of crack could be obtained for as little as US$2.50.^[1] Never before had any form of cocaine been available at such low prices and at such high purity. More important from a marketing standpoint, it produced an instant high and its users became addicted in a very short time. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... For other uses, see Philadelphia (disambiguation) and Philly. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ...

Crack appeared in Miami in 1982, and at first was considered to be only a Miami phenomenon. That was proven wrong when it first appeared in New York City in December, 1983. By 1986, crack had a strong hold on the ghettos of New York City. The distribution and use of the drug exploded that same year and by the end of 1986, was available in 28 states and the District of Columbia. According to the 1985-1986 National Narcotics Intelligence Consumers Committee Report, crack was available in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, New York City, Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, Boston, Kansas City, Miami, Newark, San Francisco, Buffalo, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Seattle, and Portland, OR. Miami redirects here. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... A ghetto is an area where people from a specific racial or ethnic background live as a group in seclusion, voluntarily or involuntarily. ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Cleveland redirects here. ... Cincinnati, Ohio viewed from the SW, across the Ohio River from Kentucky. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Government  - Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Area  - City  66. ... This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... Nickname: Location in Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass Counties in the state of Missouri. ... Miami redirects here. ... Nickname: Map of Newark in Essex County Coordinates: , Country State County Essex Founded/Incorporated 1666/1836 Government  - Mayor Cory Booker, term of office 2006–2010 Area [1]  - Total 26. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Nickname: Location of Buffalo in New York State Coordinates: , Country State County Erie Government  - Mayor Byron Brown (D) Area  - Total 52. ... Dallas redirects here. ... This article refers to the state capital of Colorado. ... This article is about the city in Minnesota. ... Nickname: Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: , Country State County Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Government  - Type Council-Manager  - Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area  - City  515. ... Seattle redirects here. ... Mayor Tom Potter County Multnomah County Population (2003) 538,544 Time zone Pacific (UTC−8) Portland is the largest city in Oregon, and county seat of Multnomah County. ...

In 1985, cocaine-related hospital emergencies rose by 12 percent, from 23,500 to 26,300. In 1986, they increased 110 percent, from 26,300 to 55,200. Between 1984 and 1987, cocaine incidents increased fourfold. By 1987, crack was reported to be available in the District of Columbia and all but four states in the US.^[1] Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... {{Otheruses4|the medical term|the Australian television series|Medical Emergenc an immediate threat to a persons life or long term health. ... This article is about the year. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ...

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] A scholar is either a student or someone who has achieved a mastery of some academic discipline, perhaps receiving financial support through a scholarship. ... Moral panic is a sociological term, coined by Stanley Cohen, meaning a reaction by a group of people based on the false or exaggerated perception that some cultural behavior or group, frequently a minority group or a subculture, is dangerously deviant and poses a menace to society. ... Trafficking is a term to describe a transnational illegal activity, involving transporting, usually smuggling drugs, transporting small arms or people. ...

Impact by region

Crack Cocaine arrived earlier on the West Coast but the drug's worst impact was on the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic States. Crack was also found to be a much bigger problem in big cities than in smaller cities. 70% of the impact of crack was felt in large cities, and the rates per capita were 10 times higher in larger cities than in the rest of the nation. ^[4] Northeast is the ordinal direction halfway between north and east. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Mid-Atlantic States. ...

Researchers found that during the time period studied, cities with the worst crack problems were, New York, NY; Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; Newark, NJ; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, CA; Oakland, CA; Philadelphia, PA; New Orleans, LA; Boston, MA; San Francisco, CA; Newport News, VA; Seattle, WA; and Portland, OR. The states with the worst problems were Maryland and New York. ^[4] New York, New York redirects here. ... This article is about the city in the US state of Maryland. ... This article is about the largest city of Illinois. ... Skyline of downtown Newark as seen from the Newark Bay Bridge. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... This article is about the largest city in California. ... Aerial view looking west over downtown Oakland, Lake Merritt and the Port of Oakland in the upper left portion of the image. ... This article refers to the largest city of Pennsylvania. ... New Orleans (French: Nouvelle-Orléans) is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th_century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ... This article is about the city in California. ... Newport News is an independent city located in Virginia. ... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area   - Total   - Land   - Water   - % water 369. ... Mayor Tom Potter County Multnomah County Population (2003) 538,544 Time zone Pacific (UTC−8) Portland is the largest city in Oregon, and county seat of Multnomah County. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... This article is about the state. ...

Crime

Rather than the drug use itself, the greatest social costs of crack were associated with prohibition-related violence. Research by two prominent economists from the University of Chicago, Steven Levitt (co-author of Freakonomics and winner of the 2003 John Bates Clark Medal) and Kevin Murphy (winner of the 1997 John Bates Clark Medal) suggest that crack was the most prominent factor contributing to the rise and fall of social ills in the African American and Latino communities between 1980 and 2000. For other uses, see University of Chicago (disambiguation). ... Steven Levitt Steven Levitt (born May 29, 1967) is prominent American economist best known for his work on crime, in particular on the link between legalized abortion and crime rates. ... The cover of this version of Freakonomics has a picture of what looks like an apple on the outside but is really an orange. ... The biennial John Bates Clark Medal is awarded by the American Economic Association to that American economist under the age of forty who is adjudged to have made a significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge. Named after the American Neoclassical economist John Bates Clark (1847-1938), it is considered... Economist Kevin M. Murphy is a professor at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. ... The biennial John Bates Clark Medal is awarded by the American Economic Association to that American economist under the age of forty who is adjudged to have made a significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge. Named after the American Neoclassical economist John Bates Clark (1847-1938), it is considered...

"Between 1984 and 1994, 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 an increase in fetal death rates, low birth-weight babies, weapons arrests, and the number of children in foster care."^[4]

The reasons for these increases in crime was due mostly to the fact that distribution for the drug occurred mainly in low-income inner city neighborhoods. This gave many inner city residents the opportunity to move up the "economic ladder" in a free drug market that allowed dealers to charge a low minimum price. The basic reason for the rise of crack was economic. ^[5]

"Evidently, crack cocaine use and distribution became popular in cities that were in social and economic chaos such as 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.' (Inciardi, 1994) 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. An environment that was based on violence and deceit as an avenue for the crack dealers to protect their economic interests."^[5]

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End of the epidemic

Violence from the Crack Epidemic ended as suddenly as it had begun. Reasons for the drop in crime are not officially known. According to some reports, ^{[attribution needed]} increase in police had nothing to do with the end of the epidemic as cities with no police change saw the effect of the epidemic appear suddenly. According to Alan Fox, dean of the college of criminal justice at Northeastern University, "'Probably the most important factor [in the drop in crime] was the change in drug markets' -- that is, dealers no longer needed to fight over turf for selling the new product, because the boundary lines were now established." ^[6]

Other reports say that the crack epidemic ended because many young kids had seen the effects on their parents and older siblings. Rappers also began to popularize marijuana, a soft drug, which does not come with the devastating effects of crack, a hard drug. During the 1990s, being called a crackhead became an insult in urban culture. Many young kids from the new generation stayed away from crack and never tried it themselves. Alfred Blumstein, a criminologist from Carnegie Mellon University stated the following factors for the end of the epidemic: Alfred Blumstein is the J. Erik Jonsson University Professor of Urban Systems and Operations Research at the Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University. ... Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. ...

"There are four major factors in the drop in crime," he says. "No. 1 has been getting guns out of the hands of kids, No. 2 has been the shrinking of the crack markets and their institutionalization. Third is the robustness of the economy. There are jobs for kids now who might otherwise be attracted to dealing." In last place, Blumstein says, is the criminal justice response, or as he puts it, "incapacitation related to the growth of incarceration." ^[6]

Notes and citations

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "DEA History Book, 1985 - 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., 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, 1989; see also Reeves, J. L. and Campbell, R., Cracked Coverage: Television News, the Anti-Cocaine Crusade, and the Reagan Legacy, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1994.
4. ^ ^{a b c} How bad was Crack Cocaine? The Economics of an Illicit Drug Market. Researched by Steven D. Levitt and Kevin M. Murphy [1].
5. ^ ^{a b} CRACK:INNER CITY DECAY IN AMERICA [2].
6. ^ ^{a b} Cracked Up. [3].

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References

• http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/history/1985-1990.html
• http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/cngrtest/ct072999.htm
• http://www.senate.gov/~schumer/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/2004/PR02593.Crystalmethsunpres042504.html
• http://www.streetdrugs.org/crack.htm
• http://www.chicagogsb.edu/capideas/apr06/5.aspx
• http://sulcus.berkeley.edu/mcb/165_001/papers/manuscripts/_85.html
• http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/05/11/crack_media/index1.html
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38_MwcGDNhQ