Crack-Cocaine Addiction

Crack-Cocaine Addiction at It’s Best

In quite a few lower-class communities, phrases like “your mom is a crack head,” or “shut up crack baby” are said jokingly to make fun of someone during what we call a “rip session.” Although said as a joke, some are very offended by the comments. Why? because for some, crack addiction hits too close to home for comfort. Seeing how easy it is obtained in lower class and poverty stricken neighborhoods, many find themselves falling victim to the powerful substance, crack cocaine. Low sociable economic systems are just one of the many factors that can lead to the use, and addiction of crack cocaine, others include movies, music, peer pressure, alcohol and cigarette ads. In this report I will discuss the effects, consequences, and possible treatment for crack cocaine addiction.

“The first time cocaine is used it may make the heart beat faster leading to a feeling of excitement and fear” (qtd. in Carroll, 1994, p.24). Followed by euphoria, these feelings can peak within five seconds. The user then begins to feel more energetic and becomes more sociable (Carroll, 1994). One inhalation will produce a high usually lasting 10-15 minutes. After this zenith of intense sensation, “…the drug wears off, these temporary sensations of mastery are replaced by an intense depression, and the drug abuser will then "crash", becoming lethargic and typically sleeping for several days” (qtd. in Narconon, 2001). There are several different ways to use crack. It can be snorted, smoked, or taken intravenously. It can also be taken orally (chewed), but this method is not preferred because of the low intensity of the high. The two most popular ways of using crack are smoking and IV usage. These two methods are most favored because they give the most intense sensations.

There are three different stages to addiction, the first being the adaptive stage. In this stage, the user is on top of his/her game. They feel as if they can function better while on the drug and are able to handle larger amounts. This is the person that can smoke crack before they go to work and will probably be more productive then most. “Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. Once having tried cocaine, an individual may have difficulty predicting or controlling the extent to which he or she will continu...

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...hink that educating the youth on the effects of crack, and teaching them life coping skills can be the most effective way to cut down on the number of those who use crack. The D.A.R.E. organization does this, but they are only one organization and naturally cannot be in every school or school district. If there were more aspiring organizations such as D.A.R.E., I believe there would be a dramatic decrease in the number of addicts and in turn a decrease in violence. In addition, I also believe that parents have to talk to their children and play a more active role in their lives. Everything begins at home, so if a child is taught about drugs at home, when they enter “the real world” they’re already a step ahead.

Works Cited

Berk, L. E. (1999). Infants, children, and adolescents. Third Edition. Boston: Allyn and

Bacon.

Carroll, M. (1994). Cocaine and crack. New Jersey: Enslow Publishers, INC.

Cocaine Anonymous World Service. (2001). A self-test for addiction. Available: http://www.ca.org/catest.html [2001, December 5].

Narconon. (2000). Cocaine addiction. Available:

http://www.cocaineaddiction.com/cocaine_addiction.html [2001, December 5].