Crack cocaine in the Dublin region - Health Research Board

7.6 Key findings• A significant proportion of crack users in treatment are homeless or live inunstable accommodation such as prisons, halfway houses, homeless hostels, orbed and breakfasts. Crack users reported having become homeless because ofnon-payment of rent, theft, or violence and anti-social behaviour inflicted onfamily members.• The lifestyles of such users appear to be too chaotic to sustain a legitimate sourceof income. Only 6% of new crack cases entering treatment were employed.• Crack users who were in employment reported that they funded their use fromtheir wages, and used crack only on days when they were not at work.• Crack use may prevent entry into employment schemes. Individuals in recoveryfrom heroin addiction who are receiving training to provide them with skills tore-enter the job market risk expulsion if their crack use is detected or if use isprompting disruptive behaviour during training.• Compulsive crack users reported neglecting their children, often diverting theirfinancial resources towards buying crack.• Given the high cost of crack, users often acquired debts very quickly which, whenleft unpaid, led to intimidation from crack dealers. This intimidation was oftendirected not only at the users themselves but also at their parents or other familymembers.• Few drug-treatment services reported that members of their local communitieswere concerned about crack cocaine use in the area. There were no reportsof crack-specific discarded drug paraphernalia, such as pipes, littering localpublic spaces.Crack cocaine in the Dublin region: an evidence base for a crack cocaine strategy85