Crack cocaine in the Dublin region - Health Research Board

Three female users described how they had neglected their children and wastedfinancial resources in pursuit of crack cocaine.I destroyed my relationship because all I was interested in was the drugs, drugs, drugs and itwas just as well that at the time when it kind of really started happening my child was the firstgrandchild and my ma was after taking him back over for a while during the summer. Thiskind of happened through the three months, the summer period. And I just went drasticallydownhill… My mother and father and sisters were behind me because none of them are onanything and like, I lived with my mother and they were always there, only for that, like, mykids and all, they would have been gone on me.north-east Dublin, former crack user (September 2007)Like I was crying. A bit down today. And I probably bumped into a few in town and then ‘Areyou getting a rock?’ and I would say ‘I haven’t got the money’ where if I have, say, only €20and we’d pool in and he’d fucking throw an extra one and then you are happy as Larry butthen you have problems to face again. You know what I mean. It doesn’t be really worth it.And then I would probably be shaking my teeth later on saying ‘fuck that’. I could have gota few packets of crisps and popcorn or whatever and watched a film with the kids before Iwent to bed. You know things like this.north-inner city, current crack user (October 2007)Another user described how she had sold her children’s possessions to sustain hercrack habit and she suspected that her son had developed a crack habit as well:But, oh Jesus I gave away things out of my home for it, I gave the kids’ stuff away. Just, ittakes your whole, what would you call it, self-respect, dignity, everything, it strips you naked.You’d end up on the fucking game, God forgive me. There is enough out there doing it for itand all. But I’ve a young fella that I know is strung out, I’m after being with the Corporationand all, I’m stressed out to bits. I know he’s strung out on crack, found a crack pipe. Hesmokes hash, right, and a hash pipe and a crack pipe is totally different. Must have thoughtI was a fucking eejit, God forgive me. So, I’m after getting a barring order and all. It’s likewhen I dropped it he picked it up. I’d only, like, dropped it, when I put the habit down andhe picked it up. If you can understand me. It’s killing me, I have got a protection order andall against him.north-east Dublin, current crack user (October 2007)Given the high cost of crack, users could acquire debts very quickly which, if leftunpaid, could lead to intimidation from crack dealers. This intimidation can be directednot only at the users themselves but also at their parents or other family members.However, it must be noted that most debt-related violence reported by service providerswas in relation to powder cocaine users.82 Crack cocaine in the Dublin region: an evidence base for a crack cocaine strategy