Who uses Cocaine? Social Profiles of Cocaine Users

Abstract

Despite the long history of cocaine use in the UK, little is known about which groups use it. This paper describes contemporary cocaine users in England of both its powder and crack form, in the 1990s. A classification, based on social context of use, was developed from ethnographic data collected on 82 users between 1990 and 1992. Three distinct groups of cocaine users were identified: recreational cocaine users, poly-drug cocaine users and salient cocaine users. The recognition of the heterogeneity of cocaine users could inform service providers. Recreational users are unlikely to make demands on services. Poly-drug users may already be in contact with existing services but may not have reported their cocaine use. Consequently problematic cocaine use, as a confounder of other drug problems, may go unnoticed. Salient cocaine users are less likely to identify themselves with other drug users such as opiate users, are less likely to have knowledge of drug services, and evidence suggests that drug agencies are less attuned to their needs.

Key Words:

• Cocaine
• crack
• ethnography
• typology
• England