Crack Epidemic Part 1
The crack epidemic in the United States was a period in the 80s and 90s when crack use surged throughout the United States, specifically in inner city neighborhoods. As a result, violence and crime increased throughout America. It was very popular because it was affordability, high effects and for how profitable it proved to be.
What is Crack?
While many people have a good idea of what cocaine looks like from movies and media, the nature of crack is less well known. Cocaine is a powder, and to make crack, the powder is mixed with water and baking soda. It is then boiled, and solid particles ('rock') form. The rock is then cracked into smaller pieces and sold. Crack is typically smoked. The epidemic got so bad at one point, that "crackheads" would take the antennas off cars and use them as crack pipes.
Rise to fame
During the early 80s cocaine rose in popularity because the amount that was coming into the United States made the prices fall and it provided a stronger high than other drugs and the effects were instant. Cocaine is made by mixing the coca leaf and various toxic cutting agents and the majority comes from countries like Peru, Bolivia and Colombia. Drug dealers then realized that they could increase they profits by mixing the cocaine with baking soda and selling the rocks. It was very simple and very, very profitable and soon the drug was cropping all across the country in cities like Los Angeles, Houston, Oakland, Miami, New York, and throughout the Caribbean.
Crime Epidemic
Crack had a devastating effect on black communities throughout America. Crack offered more money than a lot of jobs could and it was very popular in the inner city communities. As the demand increased, so did violence. Dealers and gangs would compete for control of different areas, hoping to maintain control as a means to continue their profits. Robbery, aggravated assault, manslaughter and homicide all increased during this period. Violence became interlocked with this new drug leading to lots of legislation in an attempt to stem the violence.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/crack-epidemic
https://oig.justice.gov/special/9712/ch06p2.htm
I found this article very informative! I liked how you broke up individual aspects of the crack epidemic and went into detail about how this affected the U.S during the period. Cocaine hydro-chloride or crack cocaine was was rather unknown up until the 1960s. It proved to be a major cash crop for South American countries, especially for Colombia. With the desire for the drug increasing, trafficking organizations such as the Medellín cartel implemented distribution systems importing cocaine from South America into the U.S. market, through air and water travel. The drug soon became an epidemic, as you mentioned, which only accelerated production from South America.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.britannica.com/topic/crack-epidemic
https://allthatsinteresting.com/medellin-cartel
I really liked this post because it explained the motives for why people began selling crack since there were no other viable job opportunities. I did some research on how cocaine got into the US and found out that at one point 80% of the cocaine entering the US came from Pablo Escobar's Cartel, The Medellin Cartel. They killed tens of thousands of people and his cartel made as much as 4 billion dollars a year. I found it ironic how his drug dealing allowed him to put money into bettering his home city, Medellin, while at the same time the drugs he was exporting to America were destroying communities on a much larger scale.
ReplyDeleteSource:
https://www.wsj.com/ad/cocainenomics