CRACK: THE NEW DRUG EPIDEMIC!

by Gilda Berger ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 1987

From Iron Bias to Guillermo, a baby born addicted, Berger shows that the effects of cocaine, especially in its new and dangerous form--crack, are unremittingly tragic. The author traces the drug's path from Central or South American farm to city street, describing in detail the processes of manufacture and distribution, as well as the physical effects of its use and abuse. She considers the legal and ethical questions in compulsory drug testing and treatment. Her study of US efforts to curb the supply, is critical: neither vast sums of money nor military intervention has had much effect on production. (Despite the efforts of customs agents and the Coast Guard, the amount of cocaine entering this country has doubled in the last five years.) Berger suggests that drug traffic can be controlled, but that demand needs to be curbed along with supply; in the long run, proper education and effective treatment for addicts offer the best hope of success. Her information is current to the end of 1986 (crack's street price is down to about half of the $10 she repeatedly mentions); the author appends lists of books, articles, hotlines and organizations, along with a large glossary and index. Photos are few, dark, and uninformative. Solid, useful first purchase.

Pub Date: Oct. 15, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Watts

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1987

Categories: CHILDREN'S