GROWING NUMBER OF MORE AFFLUENT DRUG USERS TAKING CRACK COCAINE

MORE drug users are turning to crack cocaine. Dublin's Rutland Centre
director Stephen Rowen confirmed that reports indicate an increased
use of crack.

"From talking to people, cocaine and crack are in use more than they
would have been even a couple of years ago. Crack cocaine is a
growing problem, but it hasn't reached heroin or cocaine proportions
yet," he said. A garda spokesperson said there was one seizure of
crack cocaine over three years ago, and four minor seizures at the
end of 2000.

A British magazine survey recently claimed that 45% of people between
the age of 16 and 26 had tried regular cocaine. Mr Cooney said that
while it wouldn't have reached this level here, there has been an
increase in usage.

"There is certainly an increase in the numbers of people who have
been doing it, and it is seen as a middle class drug. It seems to be
quite widely available, and we have quite a few people here who were
addicted to it. We have had a lot of young people calling, worried
that their friends are taking it, and also some concerned parents.
There have also been some incidences of crack cocaine entering the
country."

Regular cocaine is often seen as the choice of the more affluent drug
user. "Cocaine is really a secret industry, but with increased
availability, the price comes down and more people can afford it. It
is a change in the sense that it can often be used by middle class
people without affecting their lives, which is always dangerous," he
said. A conference, held just over three years ago in Dublin, warned
of the dangers of the synthetic drug, often associated with extreme
violence.

A New York police inspector described how crack made cocaine
available to anyone with $10 and access to a dealer. The drug was
also described as a stroke of marketing genius because it is so
easily handled and provides an instant hit. It is also so addictive
that it creates its own market.