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Crack

I was watching documentaries from the 80s and early 90s about crack and it sounded like such a huge threat at the time that was destroying whole communities and causing violence. Today you never hear about crack causing too much trouble. Is crack still a major issue but we’ve just gotten used to it? Does anybody even smoke it anymore?

by Anonymousreply 60July 29, 2025 11:57 PM

Meth is absolutely the new crack, but societally it’s so “we’ve lost the battle” at this point that there are no alarm bells ringing about it.

by Anonymousreply 1July 27, 2025 12:55 AM

My 30 year old cousin smokes it but from the looks of him he mostly uses meth.

by Anonymousreply 2July 27, 2025 12:56 AM

I wish I could intervene but he's not my kid.

by Anonymousreply 3July 27, 2025 1:01 AM

I used to be best friends with this girl that turned out to be a totally weird lesbian, and now I guess she's on crack.

by Anonymousreply 4July 27, 2025 1:04 AM

Meth is incredibly cheap and lasts all day.

by Anonymousreply 5July 27, 2025 1:06 AM

Define "incredibly" cheap, r5.

by Anonymousreply 6July 27, 2025 1:08 AM

Crack is whack.

by Anonymousreply 7July 27, 2025 1:10 AM

It never did anything for me.

by Anonymousreply 8July 27, 2025 1:11 AM

Crank and Black Tar Heroin. War on Drugs.

by Anonymousreply 9July 27, 2025 1:17 AM

Just say No.

by Anonymousreply 10July 27, 2025 1:19 AM

Less than $20, r6.

by Anonymousreply 11July 27, 2025 1:39 AM

OP, is that where the man goes up into the crack of another man?

by Anonymousreply 12July 27, 2025 2:29 AM

r11 - oh my fucking god. No wonder it's an epidemic.

by Anonymousreply 13July 27, 2025 3:25 AM

I think you don't hear much about crack because it never entered the suburbs the way other drugs did. It sounds like everyone is terrified of fentanyl now.

by Anonymousreply 14July 27, 2025 3:30 AM

Well, ten years ago people were smoking it. When I took the bus to my brother's house, I would have to walk through an area where crackheads scored. I could always spot those little vials in the gutter.

by Anonymousreply 15July 27, 2025 7:59 PM

R14 - it definitely did enter the suburbs, as all drugs do. It's just not talked about - and the crime necessary to obtain funds for more crack isn't there. Plus they have more access to drug rehab and other interventions.

by Anonymousreply 16July 27, 2025 8:06 PM

This thread got me curious to look at some stats. The linked chart explains how, while crack is still killing Americans, other drugs are killing Americans at much higher rates. It is clear our society has not won the so-called War On Drugs.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 17July 27, 2025 8:14 PM

I did a fair amount of blow in my day. Smoked crack once or twice, but it never did anything for me (mercifully).

As I once heard or read, "Cocaine will make you feel like the president for twenty minutes. Crack will make you feel like God for ten minutes."

by Anonymousreply 18July 27, 2025 8:16 PM

I did coke a few times and it never had too much of an effect on me. Plus I have shitty sinuses to begin with and it always aggravated them. I never tried crack though

by Anonymousreply 19July 27, 2025 8:25 PM

R17 - God that's depressing. We now have OD rates 10x higher than in the late 60s/early 70s.

Opioids really fucked up this country good, starting in 1999. And there still has not been enough accountability - 25 years later.

by Anonymousreply 20July 27, 2025 8:32 PM

I still like coke. I did crack once in the very early 80s, I think before it was even called crack. It was too good and I never did it again. However, about 20 years ago, I was with a guy that did it with his friends. I watched one of his friends destroy his life. Got out of the relationship soon thereafter. I still get coke now and again.

by Anonymousreply 21July 27, 2025 8:37 PM

“Crack is whack! Crack is cheap! Listen…. DIANE….”

by Anonymousreply 22July 27, 2025 9:40 PM

I just crossed Dustin off my to-do-before-I-die list

by Anonymousreply 23July 27, 2025 10:04 PM

LOL - Sorry, R22. While I like coke, I only do it when we go out to the bar and if I have some. Maybe once every six weeks. If it makes you feel better, I've had a bag of edibles next to my bedside that I've never touched.

by Anonymousreply 24July 27, 2025 10:29 PM

I've tried coke several times, only once did it do anything for me. Friends who like it don't believe me and tell me I'm snorting it wrong. Hunh?

by Anonymousreply 25July 27, 2025 10:29 PM

Oh, what doesn't do anything for me is meth. I tried it a few times. More "me-h" than "METH!"

by Anonymousreply 26July 27, 2025 10:37 PM

Meth made me feel like a soulless reptile. Cocaine made me feel good but the comedown was a drag. I only abuse cannabis these days. (And food)

by Anonymousreply 27July 27, 2025 11:24 PM

A county north of us had a meth problem for years. I had to testify during Covid in a resentencing hearing and the prosecutor mentioned during prep it was no longer meth, but heroin that was the biggest problem… Fast forward to 2025 and when I mentioned the heroin issue, the same prosecutor was like, the kids have moved past that, it’s crack now…

by Anonymousreply 28July 27, 2025 11:47 PM

R17 that is a really interesting link, thanks for that. A bit surprised that there arent more meth deaths, but its clear that opoids are really fucking shit up. Meanwhile.... cannabis overdose deaths at zero like always. Stupidly thats still illegal here

by Anonymousreply 29July 28, 2025 12:01 AM

v8fairy at R29, it looks like that chart does not include meth.

Meth-induced deaths (and related stimulant-abuse deaths) are surely a lot higher than zero.

by Anonymousreply 30July 28, 2025 12:23 AM

Dustin - aren't you a bit too old to be doing coke? Or do I have you confused with a poster who is older?

by Anonymousreply 31July 28, 2025 12:24 AM

ps to R30… more Googling, apparently a large % of meth deaths are actually “meth laced with fentanyl” deaths, and it’s widespread enough that it is now difficult to isolate fatalities from meth. One figure claimed that more than 80% of fatal drug overdoses that involved meth, also involved fentanyl.

by Anonymousreply 32July 28, 2025 12:27 AM

There were horror stories about “crack babies”. But there were no crack babies.

by Anonymousreply 33July 28, 2025 12:30 AM

Thanks R30/R32, that would make sense. Its not being laced with fentanyl much here yet to the best of my knowledge, but still results in some deaths

by Anonymousreply 34July 28, 2025 12:31 AM

Meth was rarely deadly back in the day, but today's hyper strong p2p meth has racked up some numbers.

Still, most ODs are opiate based

by Anonymousreply 35July 28, 2025 1:20 AM

R16 I know a few regular coke users who sometimes smoke crack. They were all white from upper middle class backgrounds. Tried to get me to join them. No sir, no matter how wired or drunk I already was. That is one drug I never and will never touch. Never. Saw too many crackheads growing up. Scarred me for life. I guess that’s a good thing because I have an addictive personality.

by Anonymousreply 36July 28, 2025 1:44 AM

Oh, jeez. I forgot about my old neighbor. I lived on the next block in our very white PA suburb. He was from a prominent family in this small town. He had three brothers who also lived in the town. All with beautiful homes. This guy's house was on a park with a small brook and a gazebo. He had a stunning wife and two (three) beautiful children.

Picture perfect life. Except for the dark side. Got hooked on crack. Started hanging out with underage girls. It all blew up one day when he got busted.

He actually was a nice guy. I only knew him slightly. My ex-wife coached one of his kids, and his wife invited us to a party at their house. And I used to say hi when he ran by our house. Did I mention he was incredibly hot? I'm not kidding. One of the hottest guys I've ever known.

Really was a shame.

by Anonymousreply 37July 28, 2025 1:57 AM

Sounds like he was lucky to escape with his life R37. Usually the outcome of a spiralling hard drug addiction is death.

by Anonymousreply 38July 28, 2025 2:04 AM

The opioid epidemic is now so out of control because they severely cut down on giving Norco when you have legit pain. There is a lot of chronic pain in this country. Those with it are now told to take toxic Tylenol and get over it. They are turning to illegal way relief. I injured my neck and was on Norco for 5 years waiting for insurance to ok surgery. It took me having blood pressure issues and atrophy in my arms to get them to ok it. Once I was past the pain after surgery I easily weened myself off it.

Coke is great but it fucks up my sinuses and the comedown is a bitch. Meth is fucking wonderful but who has days to be on it? The comedown is not bad at all for me. Crack is wonderful, but you can’t find it easily. I hate weed. I’ve never tried heroin. No thanks.

So, I don’t really party now. I don’t have an addictive personality thankfully.

by Anonymousreply 39July 28, 2025 2:06 AM

OP, please try Krokodil.

by Anonymousreply 40July 28, 2025 2:08 AM

I'm continually surprised that the Sackler family haven't been run out of the US with pitchforks and burning torches so that they are forced to live in some third-world country like Russia.

by Anonymousreply 41July 28, 2025 2:19 AM

I stuck with quaaludes.

by Anonymousreply 42July 28, 2025 2:33 AM

[quote]The opioid epidemic is now so out of control because they severely cut down on giving Norco when you have legit pain. There is a lot of chronic pain in this country. Those with it are now told to take toxic Tylenol and get over it. They are turning to illegal way relief.

Absolutely true, r39. Also, patients with chronic, incurable pain need stronger pain killers on an as needed basis in order to function.

by Anonymousreply 43July 28, 2025 3:15 AM

R43 Yes! They are left to suffer. Many get very depressed and their quality of life is a real issue.

by Anonymousreply 44July 28, 2025 3:32 AM

meth was huge in the naughts when the gays seemed to have discovered it. We heard the same "It the worst drug and cannot be stopped!" But now, while some do it, it's just nowhere near as ubiquitous.

What happened? Were gays truly able to give it up, unlike predictions?

by Anonymousreply 45July 28, 2025 3:34 AM

R45 I think a lot of people can do it recreationally now more than before. But I also think the younger generations are not as into drugs as the older generations. Younger generations are more into milder drugs like weed. Edibles.

by Anonymousreply 46July 28, 2025 3:39 AM

Dustin, aren't you going to break your Italian mama's heart doing those drugs?

by Anonymousreply 47July 28, 2025 3:43 AM

R47 it’s recreationally. So many people do them recreationally. Getting high every now and again is not a big deal if you do not have an addictive personality. If you do stay far far away from the hard drugs. And alcohol.

by Anonymousreply 48July 28, 2025 3:45 AM

R39 when you say Tylenol, do you mean Tylenol codeine also known as Tylenol 3? It works for dental pain I know that. I did heroin once but will never try opioids again.

by Anonymousreply 49July 28, 2025 3:49 AM

r33 there absolutely were crack babies.

by Anonymousreply 50July 28, 2025 3:56 AM

R49 No, regular Tylenol. Yes, Tylenol with codeine is effective for dental work, but I can’t tolerate it. If Inasked for Norco I’d get the side eye so fast. Confession: I hate the opioid side effects like constipation. No thanks.

by Anonymousreply 51July 28, 2025 4:01 AM

Crack is highly and instantly addictive to people who are susceptible to it. A friend of mine was married for 20+ years to the most BORING accountant on the planet. They raised a blended family together. They started many side businesses. One of them was private investigation. This boring accountant watched some drug deals go down during his surveillance time. He somehow got it into his head that his life was boring (it was) and decided that he should try crack just to see what it was like. 6 months later he was irrevocably hooked and had motored through $60,000 in cash that he and my friend had as a home emergency stash. My friend separated from him immediately as soon as she realized what was up. She had confronted him and he fessed up. She separated all finances and made him move out while they went through the divorce process. She was kind-hearted but didn't want to lose all her life and security based upon his addiction, nor did she trust him not to bring unsavory people home. . Basically it destroyed his life. He was more or less retirement age, but became destitute, Eventually he sort of found sobriety and lived in a group home for recovering addicts, but he had a bad ticker and the crack really did a number on it - so he eventually died of congestive heart failure.

by Anonymousreply 52July 28, 2025 5:54 AM

R52 Addictive Personality

by Anonymousreply 53July 28, 2025 5:58 AM

I have vices but not crack

by Anonymousreply 54July 28, 2025 6:03 AM

One of the most disturbing crack documentaries I recall watching is high on crack street. Those people were all such messes and skaves to crack

by Anonymousreply 55July 28, 2025 2:00 PM

Duztin, I had looked up to you as an example of what I'd like to mature into, but now I can't. I've FAFO, and know I can't make room in my life for addictive substances.

by Anonymousreply 56July 28, 2025 5:38 PM

After orthopedic surgery years ago, I was given Norco for the pain. It worked. Not anything I would want to do for fun, though. Nowadays, asking for Tramadol will earn a sideways look.

by Anonymousreply 57July 29, 2025 6:12 PM

Meth itself is not deadly. It’s the ancillary issues associated with chronic use. Recreational use without long-term negative impact is fairly commonplace.

by Anonymousreply 58July 29, 2025 6:28 PM

Keep talking.

We like the distraction from us.

That crack is so whack.

by Anonymousreply 59July 29, 2025 6:37 PM

Several years ago I had a kidney stone. I recognized what it was likely to be. Incredibly painful - as they say, perhaps comparable to giving birth. Guzzled a ton of water and drove myself to the hospital. I told them what I thought it was at the check in. Then I started pacing, because there was no way to sit still through that level of pain. I'm sure I had flop sweat. Had to urinate at some point - blood, pain, horrible. Finally, after 3 or 4 hours wait, they wheeled me in for a CT scan. When the doctor finally got around to reading it and came to consult with me, he said, there's a tremendous amount of inflammation all along the ureter, but it appears you've already passed the kidney stone. I'll bet you've been experiencing some pain.

NO SHIT, SHERLOCK!!

Anyway, at that point they gave me a generous dose of dilaudid. I could have wept, the pain relief was so immediate. Then I was furious that I had been allowed to pace and moan in incredible pain for HOURS. I'm quite certain that hospitals get opioid addicts in the ER all the time, trying to get a drugs for free and claiming various illnesses to get it - but that really creates a problem when a person is actually in acute suffering.

by Anonymousreply 60July 29, 2025 11:57 PM
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