The association of crack and criminal activity is commonly believed bu
t not well documented or characterized in any systematic studies of cr
ack addicts. In this survey of 200 crack addicts, daily use of crack c
orrelated more with illicit, criminal activities to obtain a supply of
crack than to demographic features. Correspondingly, felony and cocai
ne dealing was associated with total dollars spent on cocaine but not
to other demographic features such as level of property or affluence.
Moreover, the majority of crack addicts in this sample used cocaine in
tranasally before starting crack use. The mean age from onset of crack
use to seeking help for cocaine addiction is less than 3 years. Sever
ity of crack use and addiction as measured by daily use was associated
with psychosocial consequences more than other demographic features.