Rise of Crack in America

       While the use of coca leaves as an intoxicant dates back three thousand years, crack cocaine, a crystallized form of cocaine, was developed during the cocaine boom of the 1970s and its use spread in the mid-1980s. According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency, by the late 1970s there was a huge glut of cocaine powder being shipped into the United States. This caused the price of the drug to drop by as much as 80%. Faced with dropping prices for their illegal product, drug dealers converted the powder to “crack,” a solid form of cocaine that could be smoked.
The biggest surge in the use of the drug occurred during the “crack epidemic,” between 1984 and 1990, when the drug spread across American cities. The crack epidemic dramatically increased the number of Americans addicted to cocaine. In 1985, the number of people who admitted using cocaine on a routine basis increased from 4.2 million to 5.8 million. The epidemic first started in Miami, where Caribbean immigrants taught adolescents the technique of converting powdered cocaine into crack. The teenagers eventually introduced the business of producing and distributing crack cocaine into other major cities of the United States, including New York City, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Also, the emergence of crack cocaine in the inner cities led to a drastic increase in crime between 1981 and 1986. Federal prison admission for drug offenses soared, and murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rates increased significantly. There were also marked increases in robbery and aggravated assault.
The administration of U.S. President Ronald Reagan early on began to prioritize what came to be called the “War on Drugs,” which combatted drug trafficking and aimed to end the crack cocaine epidemic destroying many lives. The efforts included the passing of federal anti-drug laws, increased federal anti-drug funding, the initiation and expansion of prison and police programs, and the establishment of private organizations, such as Partnership for a Drug-Free America, to campaign on its behalf. The idea of the War on Drugs was grounded in deterrence theory, whereby the implementation of legislation and harsher penalties would deter or discourage the use of drugs. The 100-to-l ratio between powdered cocaine and crack cocaine was used as a guideline for minimum mandatory punishment. For instance, a minimum penalty of 5 years was administered for 5 grams of crack cocaine or 500 grams of powdered cocaine.

Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/crack-epidemic
https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/crackcocaine/a-short-history.html
https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/10/2/16328342/opioid-epidemic-racism-addiction
https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/dahleen-glanton/ct-opioid-epidemic-dahleen-glanton-met-20170815-column.html