Cocaine Crisis Research Paper

The cocaine crisis was a large problem through the country in the 1970- 1980’s, this forced the United States to restrict and regulate incoming cocoa plants. Cocaine comes from the cocoa plant, and is a white powder substance. This drug should not be legal because it affects your brain and is categorized as a stimulant that could ruin a family's budget but this is how you get a “higher social class”. Cocaine at the beginning was a drug used to show you had money or you belonged in the highest social class. Research shows, “Many considered co-caine a harmless, even glamorous, "recreational" drug; it was the drug of choice of the famous and successful—professional athletes, celebrities in the arts and entertainment, lawyers, university professors”(Cocaine). This shows that cocaine made your social class seem high and you were cool if you used cocaine. For example, “the white powder became a sort of status symbol at yuppie
This drug could ruin a family's life savings or even cause people to fall behind in bills. “In 1985 "crack"—an easily made, smokable form of cocaine that was far more addictive than powder cocaine and much cheaper—suddenly appeared on the streets of American cities. Crack could be purchased in small vials for two or three dollars but was still highly profitable for dealers because of huge increases in the cocaine supply and the resulting fall in the market price” (Cocaine). The modification of cocaine to crack helps the users bills but now it is easier to get and becomes a scarier drug.” Wall Street brokers—who were among the few who could afford the high black-market price of cocaine” (cocaine). This shows that the price of cocaine is very expensive. “Because of its high price, it was sometimes called the champagne of drugs”, (cocaine). This shows that cocaine was very expensive like a bottle of champagne. “Drug abuse carries high medical costs as well”(drug). Drug abuse carries these high