CRIM 3250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 41: Prenatal Cocaine Exposure, Fair Sentencing Act, Social Control
10 Nov 2020
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Document Summary
It is difficult to understand the social and health repercussions of cocaine use without considering vastly different groups of users. Reality: crack cocaine is very different from powder cocaine, and it has been treated way different from a social perspective. Wide range of positive effects when used in moderation. Allows for more energy, intellectual focus, enhanced sensations, increased sociability. We see this reflected in the data from the crack cocaine era. Early 1980s - extensive jump in ed mentions, largely attributed to crack cocaine. Over time, ed mentions remain in a stable position as first. In recent years, this position has been replaced by other drugs like narcotics. They vilified a certain type of user - poverty, minority. Other factors were associated with this trend (like poverty) It does have detrimental consequences for babies though. There was an increase in babies born that were addicted to drugs during this time period. Cost and consequence relatively small in the long-run.
