Abstract
“Crack” cocaine, an addictive, smokable form of cocaine, gained widespread use in many urban neighborhoods in the United States in the mid-1980s, particularly among poor young adults who were members of minority groups
1
–
6
. A recent national household survey of drug use found that approximately 1 million Americans, including 1.0 percent of those between 18 and 25 years of age, had used crack during the previous year
7
. Unlike injection-drug use, which is practiced predominantly by men, the use of crack cocaine is widespread among both men and women
7
–
9
.
When inhaled, vaporized cocaine base gains rapid access . . .