BACKGROUND The health risks of crack cocaine smoking in public settings have not been well described. We sought to identify factors associated with public crack smoking, and assess the potential for a supervised inhalation facility to reduce engagement in this behavior, in a setting planning to evaluate a medically supervised crack cocaine smoking facility. METHODS Data for this study were de...

OBJECTIVE It has not been possible to draw firm conclusions about the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure because of methodologic problems involved in the conduct of this research. This study, designed to overcome some of these methodologic problems, is a prospective, longitudinal investigation of the effects of prenatal cocaine/crack exposure on neonatal growth in two samples, one with and on...

OBJECTIVE To understand crack cocaine craving among users and describe craving behaviors and coping strategies. METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES Qualitative study with a non-random criterion sample consisting of 40 current and former crack cocaine users conducted in São Paulo, southeast Brazil, in 2007 and 2008. Respondents were selected using snowball sampling technique. In-depth semi-structured in...

Recent research suggests that crack cocaine use alters systemic biochemical markers, like oxidative damage and inflammation markers, but very few studies have assessed the potential effects of crack cocaine at the cellular level. We assessed genome instability by means of the comet assay and the cytokinesis-block micronucleus technique in crack cocaine users at the time of admission to a rehabi...

OBJECTIVE To characterize the situation regarding crack cocaine use in the city of São Paulo, along with the sociodemographic profile of its users. METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES Qualitative ethnographic study carried out with an intentional sample of crack cocaine users (n=45) and former users (n=17). The participants were recruited by means of the chain sampling method and they underwent a semi-...

The use of crack cocaine has given rise to an intense discussion in society. Research has contributed to the characterization of users and the negative consequences of its use. However, few studies have conducted in-depth study of the social and cultural contexts in which crack cocaine is used. Thus, this study seeks to discuss the ritual of crack cocaine use and its social and health consequen...

Crack/cocaine use is an increasing problem in the UK. This study is the first to ascertain the magnitude of the crack/cocaine problem in a rural county of the UK and to determine users' needs for treatment services. A questionnaire on drug dependence and risk behaviour was completed by 306 users of drug treatment services, and focus groups were conducted with 45 self-selected crack/cocaine user...

Injuries from cocaine abuse are often seen and have been reported more often with the introduction of crack cocaine. Burns of the upper aerodigestive tract have been reported but no reports of esophageal obstruction have been located. We report ingestion of a foreign body from smoking crack cocaine and our management. A review of other possible aspiration and ingestion injuries is included.

Crack emerged in the late 1980s in Brazil. This emergence was a critical moment for public health; the growing AIDS epidemic led intravenous cocaine users to migrate toward crack use to avoid the use of injection drugs. At the same time, young consumers of marijuana also began using crack, largely due to market strategies in drug trafficking that led to a shortage of marijuana and the availabil...

Recent reports suggest that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) could be a biomarker for relapse, drug craving and withdrawal severity. In particular, elevated BDNF levels among former cocaine users have been associated with higher rates of relapse in 90 d. However, no data are available on BDNF levels at baseline and during crack cocaine withdrawal. This study evaluated BDNF among crack c...