'Crack'. Early report on a new drug epidemic.

PreviewThe popularity of smoking freebase cocaine, or “crack,” has risen precipitously in recent years because of widespread availability and cheap prices. In this report on a random sample of hotline callers, Drs Washton, Gold, and Pottash suggest a basic treatment plan for abusers of this exceptionally addictive drug and warn the healthcare community to prepare for an unprecedented influx of patients as the problem becomes even more prevalent.