“Dependence” is frequently taken to mean physical dependence, i.e. Withdrawal symptoms may manifest when the substance becomes suddenly absent (is withdrawn) from the system. However, this did not, of course, mean that crack did not also find many takers within other ethnic groups.ĭependence is a phenomenon whereby the system of someone consuming a substance regularly over time becomes reliant upon the presence of that substance in order to function normally. From the start of what became known as the “crack epidemic”, there was a pronounced racial element to the public perception of crack use, with it being considered a predominantly “black” drug thanks to the overrepresentation of African-Americans in poorer neighbourhoods. Partly because of its affordability, crack became associated very early on with more disadvantaged neighbourhoods and users from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Their solution was crack cocaine, a smokable version of cocaine which, despite being made available at a lower cost than traditional cocaine, proved incredibly profitable thanks to the huge demand it immediately created amongst users.Ĭrack first appeared in the USA in 1981 and very rapidly penetrated urban centres across the country. This left suppliers searching for ways in which to increase the rate of cocaine consumption amongst users, and thus boost profits back up towards desired levels.
The history of crack began in the late 1970s when a glut of cocaine on the US market caused prices to drop by up to 80% in many major markets.
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