Cocaine Trends and Other Drug Trends in New York City, 1986-1994

Abstract

Cocaine, mainly in the form of crack, continues to dominate New York City's illicit drug scene. Trends in cocaine-involved deaths, hospital emergencies, arrest and treatment admissions are reviewed from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Also, street studies conducted at drug coping areas throughout New York City during this period yield ethnographic insights. At the same time that cocaine trends were showing increases in the 1990s, heroin trends and marijuana trends were also showing decisive increases. An upsurge in heroin activity may be directly related to cocaine activity. Heroin's ameliorative effects for the cocaine user are the most direct association. The sequence-first cocaine, then heroin-has been documented by historians in the field. The association between cocaine trends and marijuana trends is less direct, and may represent the substitution of or a retreat to marijuana, a drug that is perceived as much safer.

Heroin Sniffing as Self-Regulation among Injecting and Non-Injecting Heroin Users

“…These long-term sniffers could eventually develop tolerances high enough to motivate them into drug treatment. This scenario is most likely in cities such as New York, where the purity of heroin samples confiscated by the DEA increased sharply in the same years, from an average of 34 percent pure in 1988 to 70 percent pure in 1995 (Frank and Galea 1996).…”

Postneonatal mental and motor development of infants exposed in utero to opioid drugs

“…Zagon & McLaughlin, 1984). While opioid addiction decreased during the recent cocaine epidemic, there has been a resurgence of opioid use as part of the historically cyclical nature of drug abuse in this country (Frank & Galea, 1996;Musto, 1987). For most of the 20th century, American opioid abuse primarily involved illicit heroin, intravenously injected (Kinlock, Hanlon & Nurco, 1998).…”

Cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects of heroin in squirrel monkeys: role of active metabolites and opioid receptor mechanisms

“…This combination is referred to as a "speedball", and abuse of speedballs is prevalent worldwide along with cocaine and heroin abuse (Kosten et al 1986;Darke and Hall 1995;Frank and Galea 1996). Efforts to identify the pharmacological basis for speedball abuse have yet to reveal clear mechanisms underlying this form of addiction.…”