Table 4
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Cocaine/Crack
| City | ||||
| Bridgeport, CT | San Antonio/ El Paso, TX | San Diego, CA | New York, NY | |
| Use | stable | stable | stable | stable |
| Who's Using/ Change in Users | wide range of users | primarily African Americans, some Hispanics; more Hispanic users | African Americans (crack) 18-35 yrs. old, all groups (HCl) | |
| Method of Use | smoking snorting |
smoking injecting |
smoking snorting |
smoking |
| Drugs In Combination | heroin | marijuana heroin |
PCP heroin |
heroin |
| Who's Selling | HCl sold with beepers, crack sold on street | More dealers of both heroin and cocaine. | African Americans & Hispanics; beeper sales | Young crews selling heroin also |
| Purchase Amount/Purity | $5, $10 bag; good purity | $20, $30/bag (HCl) $10, $20, $30/unit (crack) | $80-$100/gram $10 - 1/10 gr. (crack); 20% - 50% purity | $10, $20, $50/bag; $5/vial; purity fair |
| Other/Comments | There has been a noticeable trend among crack users to add heroin (snorted) to their use. Crack is also now sold as "slabs" or strips of crack in a plastic bag. | There are two major distributors: one uses young dealers to distribute, the other prefers older, experienced dealers. | A lot of users know how to make their own crack, so they buy powder. Vials have given way to tiny ziplock bags, so the product is more visible. | |
| City | ||||
| Denver, CO | Miami, FL | Chicago, IL | Trenton/Newark, NJ | |
| Use | stable | stable | stable | stable |
| Who's Using/ Change in Users |
wide range of ages; African Americans (crack) | Hispanics; decline in young adult use | wide range of users | 20-30 yrs. old, all ethnicities; some more young users |
| Method of Use | injecting smoking |
smoking | injecting smoking |
|
| Drugs in Combination | heroin | marijuana alcohol |
heroin marijuana |
alcohol |
| Who's Selling | More sellers of heroin & cocaine together | Sellers match the communities they work | Gangs | Non-users primarily selling only cocaine. |
| Purchase Amount/Purity | $5 - $10/vial | $10, $20/bag $50-$75/gram | $50-$150/gram $3-$20/rock; purity "good" | $10 for 1/10 gram, $60-70/mg variable purity |
| Other/Comments | Methamphetamine is at highest level of availability in years. Most users are white, young, and equally likely to be male or female. | Hard to find HCl on the street, but crack is available. An "ozone" is a marijuana cigarette with PCP and crack in it that sells for $15. | ||
| City | |||
| New York, NY | Austin, TX | Newark, DE | |
| Use | stable at high level | stable | stable |
| Who's Using/Change in Users | wide range of users, including women & teens; more teens | African American & Hispanic, male & female; more Hispanics | more young users |
| Method of Use | smoking injecting inhaling |
||
| Drugs in Combination | heroin marijuana |
||
| Who's Selling | Young sellers who match community. | Sellers often from larger cities & come into area with supply. | |
| Purchase Amount/Purity | $10-$20/vial $40-$50/gram; purity is "good" | $600-$1,200/oz. $20-$100/gram $10-$40/rock variable purity | Purity is "fair" |
| Other/Comments | "Slabs" of crack available, increase in number of brand names or bag markings. | Cocaine continues as #1 drug among treatment admissions, though the proportion has dropped slightly. Crack users are older than HCl injectors or snorters. | |