NCJ Number
161037
Journal
Substance Use and Misuse Volume: 31 Issue: 5 Dated: (April 1996) Pages: 565-579
Date Published
1996
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Documented crack use emerged in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 1991 onward, and an ethnographic approach is used to profile 25 Sao Paulo crack users who were interviewed on selected social and demographic characteristics, on the drug itself and drug consumption, and on consequences of crack use.
Abstract
The sample was predominantly male, confirming previous gender surveys of illicit drug users in Brazil. Respondents were classified as crack users (those who consumed crack on at least 25 different occasions) and crack ex-users (those who consumed crack on at least 25 different occasions but had not done so during the previous 6 months). In addition, respondents were classified according to upper income, middle income, or lower income groups. The study found that crack was harmful to the user, leading to a condition of dependence within a short period. About 64 percent of the sample initiated crack consumption while under 20 years of age, and 52 percent reported a state of dependence less than a month after first use. Crack users reported ultimately lapsing into "marginality" due to social isolation, neglect of bodily needs, and breakdown of family ties and other relationships. 34 references and 2 tables