Substance abuse is an ever increasing epidemic facing America's
inner-city minorities. There are several different drugs that are gaining
popularity amongst inner-city youths 1. Juice, that is marijuana soaked in
embalming fluid is starting to show up in more and more inner east coast
cities 2. Crack or rock cocaine is by far one of the most addicting drugs out
there, it's been engulfing America's inner-cities since the early 80's 3.
Heroin, is also making a comeback 4. Alcohol and marijuana are still very
popular in the lower and upper classes 5. There are some very distinctive
differences in the substance abuse seen in the less fortunate classes and the
abuse in the middle and upper classes. The upper classes drug of choose is
powder cocaine. The less fortunate classes prefer rock cocaine. Alcohol is
popular in both classes but also in different forms. The upper and middle
class teenagers seem to want to experiment more with designer or new age
drugs. The reason that there is so much media hype about the drug abuse
amongst the poor is because the rich have the political power to cover it up,
the poor don't.
Crack is cocaine mixed with baking soda and cooked in to rock form
6. Even though crack and cocaine are the same drug (just in different forms)
the courts give out stiffer sentences for crack offenders than powder cocaine
offenders 7. According to federal law if a person is caught with five grams
of crack they get a mandatory five year sentence 8. To get a five year
sentence for trafficking powder cocaine a person would have to be caught
with 500 grams 9. African-Americans account for 88.3 percent of all federal
crack distributors 10. This sentencing shows how the judicial system goes
harder on black...
Alright
Quite and interesting paper.
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