Crack cocaine in the Dublin region - Health Research Board

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In the light of these concerns, it was felt that there was a need to develop an earlyresponse before the situation got out of control. As an initial step in the developmentof a crack cocaine strategy, the Intersectoral Crack Cocaine Strategy Group (ISCCSG)was established in March 2006 under the auspices of the Community Policing Forum.This group is chaired by Mr Tony Gregory, TD for Dublin Central, and is made up ofrepresentatives of the following organisations:• Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform• An Garda Síochána• Garda National Drugs Unit (GNDU)• Health Service Executive• Dublin City Council• CityWide Drugs Crisis Campaign• Neighbourhood Youth Project 2• Union for Improved Services, Communication and Information (UISCE)• National Drugs Strategy Team• City Clinic• Alcohol and Drug Research Unit of the Health Research Board• North-inner city Community Policing Forum• North East Inner City LDTF• Inner City Organisation Network (ICON)• Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner• Inner City Renewal Group• North Wall Residents AssociationThe objectives of the ISCCSG are to:• establish and improve the evidence base relating to crack cocaine;• reduce the harm that crack cocaine causes both to communities and crack users;• reduce the availability of crack cocaine;• pursue ‘primary prevention’, so that fewer people ever start using crack cocaine;• protect communities from crime related to crack cocaine;• value the diversity of communities and actively seek to involve them in theresponse to crack cocaine;• promote both an inter- and a multi-agency response to crack cocaine;• undertake to evaluate the process.Crack cocaine in the Dublin region: an evidence base for a crack cocaine strategy23
In line with the first objective, the ISCCSG requested that the Alcohol and DrugResearch Unit (ADRU) of the Health Research Board (HRB) conduct research toestablish the evidence base relating to crack cocaine in the Dublin region as anecessary first step in the development of a focused and long-term strategic response. 1Funding for the study was provided by the Department of Justice, Equality and LawReform in January 2007. The research proposal was scientifically and methodologicallyvalidated by two external peer reviewers in May 2007, and received ethical approval inAugust 2007. The study adopted a twelve-month timeframe to complete all aspects ofresearch and produce a report. Fieldwork commenced in August 2007.1.2 What is crack?Crack is the name given to a freebase form of cocaine that is processed from cocainehydrochloride (powder cocaine). 2 In order to produce crack cocaine, powder cocaine iscombined with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water and heated toremove the hydrochloride, until it forms small, solid-white or cream-coloured rocks. 3The rocks are then filtered from the original solution, washed with water and left todry (Drugscope 2005). Crack gets its name from the cracking sound it makes when it isheated. It is usually smoked in a pipe, glass tube, plastic bottle or piece of tinfoil. It isalso possible to use crack cocaine intravenously by preparing the solid rocks of crackcocaine with a transforming agent such as lemon juice or vinegar, and by applying heatto the mixture. Smoking crack is a highly efficient way of getting cocaine into the brainand provides a more intense experience than snorting powder cocaine (GLADA 2004a). 4When crack is smoked, the user may experience a high in less than 10 seconds.The intensity of the experience of smoking crack means that its use can becomecompulsive and difficult to control for some users (GLADA 2004a).Until recently, the addictive properties of crack (and of cocaine in general) werethought to be purely psychological. However, research since the 1980s suggests thatcocaine and other stimulants may produce neuro-physiological disturbances thatoutlast drug use (Levin et al. 2001). Essentially, unlike the withdrawal symptoms thatoccur with opiates, withdrawal from cocaine manifests in psychological rather thanphysiological symptoms. During a surge in crack use throughout the 1980s, there was1 A similar approach was taken by the Greater London Alcohol and Drug Alliance (GLADA) which, inseeking a better understanding of the scale and nature of the problem, commissioned two reports on theuse and sale of crack cocaine in London (GLADA 2004a, GLADA 2004b). These reports provided the basisfor the 2005–2008 Crack Cocaine Strategy which is in place in London (GLADA 2004c).2 To avoid confusion, crack cocaine is referred to as ‘crack’ or ‘crack cocaine’ throughout this report andcocaine hydrochloride is referred to as ‘powder cocaine’. See the glossary of terms for further detail.3 Crack cocaine can be differentiated from freebase cocaine. However, to avoid confusion, both substancesare referred to as crack in this report. See the glossary of terms for further detail.4 Cocaine causes a build-up of dopamine in the synapse which contributes to the pleasurable effects of thedrug. For more detailed information on the pharmacological effects of cocaine, see www.nida.nih.gov24 Crack cocaine in the Dublin region: an evidence base for a crack cocaine strategy
Page 1 and 2: HRB Research Series6Crack cocaine i
Page 3 and 4: This publication should be cited as
Page 5 and 6: HRB Research Series publicationsto
Page 8 and 9: ContentsList of tables and figures
Page 10 and 11: 7 Social consequences of crack use
Page 12 and 13: List of tables and figuresTablesTab
Page 14 and 15: AbbreviationsADRUGNDUHRBISCCSGLDTFN
Page 16 and 17: Glossary of termsBenzos: The street
Page 18 and 19: Executive summaryBackground and stu
Page 20 and 21: phone and buyers are directed to sp
Page 22 and 23: Part 1IntroductionCrack cocaine in
Page 26 and 27: extensive reporting in the US about
Page 28 and 29: Ten interviews were conducted with
Page 30 and 31: also offers potential to trace supp
Page 32 and 33: Part 2Crack cocaine in the Dublin r
Page 34 and 35: 2.2 Criminal justice data - cocaine
Page 36 and 37: Prevalence of crack use among homel
Page 38 and 39: Local survey dataA survey in 2006 o
Page 40 and 41: Respondent 1: I’d say it’s stil
Page 42 and 43: 3 Dublin crack cocaine market3.0 Ov
Page 44 and 45: sold on the street for as little as
Page 46 and 47: Like, I was down on M… Street in
Page 48 and 49: 3.4 Marketing crackFour interviewee
Page 50 and 51: While crack was generally bought al
Page 52 and 53: • Although a number of dealers, o
Page 54 and 55: 4.2 Crack use and genderAccording t
Page 56 and 57: From about 16 to 21 I would say - t
Page 58 and 59: Table 4.4Number of new cases who li
Page 60 and 61: 5.2 Crack and other drugsMany of th
Page 62 and 63: Whether treated cases reported crac
Page 64 and 65: cases of intravenous cocaine use, t
Page 66 and 67: Table 5.5Number (%) of new cases wh
Page 68 and 69: Part 3Consequences of crack useCrac
Page 70 and 71: etween heroin, cocaine and crime. T
Page 72 and 73: So, they would talk about the kind
Page 74 and 75:
Crack and prostitutionNine services
Page 76 and 77:
On the other hand, reports from two
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often with a prevalence of opiate d
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The data provided by the NDTRS in S
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But you know it would be about kind
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So, debt is another significant iss
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7.6 Key findings• A significant p
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There are considerable long-term ps
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8.3 Psychological consequences of c
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9 Treating crack use9.0 OverviewIn
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Some services were in a position to
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Both opiate-dependent and non-opiat
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• more outreach work to identify
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10 Policing crack markets10.0 Overv
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local communities. There is growing
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He’d know me, I’d know him, you
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Table 10.1 Number of new cases who
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108 Crack cocaine in the Dublin reg
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11 Discussion and research implicat
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11.2 Responding to crack markets an
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11.3 Reducing the harm that crack c
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Shoplifting, burglary and robbery w
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Bourgois P (2003b) Crack and the po
Page 121 and 122:
Furey M and Browne C (2004) Opiate
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Loughran H and McCann ME (2006) A c
Page 125 and 126:
San Diego Police Department (1998)
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Appendix A:An evidence base for tre
Page 129 and 130:
note that providing information on
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MedicationsA number of studies have
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interpersonal psychotherapy. Americ
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Jurisdiction Intervention/Descripti
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Jurisdiction Intervention/Descripti
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Appendix C:Recent HRB series public
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140 Crack cocaine in the Dublin reg
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Crack cocaine in the Dublin region - Health Research Board

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