When posed the question, “Who’s using heroin?” the answer may not be what one would expect. An epidemic of heroin use over the past five years crosses generational, socioeconomic and geographic boundaries to plague all areas of American culture. Heroin, once a drug primarily associated with aging inner-city addicts, has become popular among suburban and rural populations, and is used by adults and adolescents. Social issues of addiction focus on how heroin addicts relate to their environment, including interpersonal and family relationships, employment and legal problems. Crack is a highly addictive form of cocaine that is typically smoked. The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound heard when the substance is heated, presumably from the sodium bicarbonate that is used in the production of crack. Cocaine powder is also dissolved in water and used intravenously ("slammed"). In this form, it has a high melting point, so it cannot be smoked. Those who choose to smoke cocaine utilize a method known as freebasing. |