Table 4
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Cocaine/Crack
City | ||||
| Bridgeport, CT | San Antonio/ El Paso, TX | Seattle, WA | New York Statea | |
| Use | stable | crack stable at high level | stable at high level | up |
| Who's Using/ Change in Users |
wide range of users; HCl used in clubs | African Americans; middle class Whites snort HCl | African Americans for crack; Whites for cocaine | early 20s to 40s; men and women; primarily African American |
| Method | smoking | smoking | smoking; injection of dissolved crack | |
| Drugs In Combination | heroin | heroin; inhalants among youths | alcohol marijuana | |
| Who's Selling | Young, gang sellers who are not users themselves sell both heroin and cocaine | Mexican Mafia in San Antonio; Mexican Syndicate in El Paso; street sales are users and some gang kids; double breasting | Hispanic sellers at upper levels; gangs distribute crack | NYC sources with local users distributing |
| Purchase Amount/Purity | 1/8 - 1/10 gr. = $20 | |||
| Other/Comments | ER mentions and deaths increased significantly from 1994-1996, but now have begun to stabilize | More crack users are describing dissolving rock in vinegar and injecting or crushing rock and snorting it | ||
aThe New York data describes drug use in suburban Orange County, rather than the city, and is based on a study being conducted by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.
Table 4, cont'd.
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Cocaine/Crack
City | |||
| Denver, CO | Miami, FL | Atlanta, GA | |
| Use | stable at high level | stable | stable at high level |
| Who's Using/ Change in Users | older users, crosses all ethnic groups | variety of urban users; club goers snort HCl | young users still apparent |
| Method | smoking | smoking snorting injecting | smoking; injection of crack (dissolved) |
| Drugs in Combination | methamphetamine | club drugs with HCl | Some crack users are shifting to heroin or doing both; crack becoming unfashionable |
| Who's Selling | African-American and Hispanic sellers; gang sales, beeper sales | lots of gang activity, but not related to drugs; African Americans domestic crack market; Whites control methamphetamine market | |
| Purchase Amount/ Purity | $5-$10/piece or rock | $3-5/rock; a little powder evident | |
| Other/Comments | Crack users are getting older. It is not considered by youth to be "cool" to use it. Methamphetamine is use rising-smoking and injecting, particularly among Whites and youths | There is competition between crack and methamphetamine dealers for the same market. Meth is marketed as a cheaper, longer lasting high by its dealers | |
Table 4, cont'd.
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Cocaine/Crack
City | ||
| Austin, TX | San Francisco, CA | |
| Use | up | stable |
| Who's Using/ Change in Users | older, African Americans for crack; younger, White or Hispanic for snorters of HCl | older users |
| Method | 3/4 smoking 1/8 snorting 1/8 injecting | smoking |
| Drugs in Combination | codeine marijuana | marijuana |
| Who's Selling | African-American and Hispanic gang members deal crack; older Colombian and Mexican dealers sell powder. | heroin and cocaine markets converging |
| Purchase Amount/Purity | Prices dropped; $10-20K/kilo; $20-100/gram; $1-40/rock | high |
| Other/Comments | Young Hispanic females are increasingly using crack or free basing HCl | Crack users are an "aging" crowd. There are few new users |
