More than 7 million Americans report a lifetime use of crack cocaine with more than 400,000 of those being current users, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Cocaine in general is the second most used illicit drug next to marijuana. Crack cocaine poses many health risks due to rapid absorption into the bloodstream from smoking the drug. The effects of crack cocaine, however, extend beyond individual risks, affecting the user's family as well .
Disconnection From Spouse
The "Journal of Family Issues" indicates in a 1997 study that marital estrangement is increasing substantially with spousal drug addiction being a significant factor in dissolution of marriage. Specifically, cocaine use in male or female spouses indicate between a 32 and 47 percent rate of divorce for lifetime use and a 13 to 20 percent rate of divorce in those reported as using cocaine in the current year. Furthermore, the probability of divorce is not related to the length of time the couple is married, rather, the devastation that occurs from the drug user mistreating the non-crack using spouse to dealing with the ramifications of financial burdens, health risks and psychological problems displayed.
Children
Children of crack-addicted parents struggle with living in unreliable environments. The Do It Now Foundation explains that children are hurt in a variety of ways when living with crack using parents. For many children, abandonment, neglect and physical abuse are unfortunate realities in living with crack addicted family members. Children run the risk of developing unhealthy views of drug use and are vulnerable to experimenting with drugs in youth due to exposure from a drug addicted parent. Drug Alcohol Rehab notes that children are also prone to having difficulties in developing personal relationships, feeling isolated from others due to a sense of shame over living in a crack-addicted family.
Prenatal Exposure
The Do It Now Foundation notes that nearly 50,000 babies are born each year to crack-addicted mothers. Crack use during pregnancy exposes the baby to toxins from the drug because cocaine passes the placental barrier. When the mother smokes, her unborn child is also getting intoxicated at the same time. Case Western Reserve University indicates that the effects of prenatal exposure causes low birth weight, increased risk of mental disabilities and cognitive delays as well as makes the fetus vulnerable to forming an addiction to crack once born. Fetuses are unable to process the drug efficiently, which increases the risk of liver damage and deformations in the heart and lungs of the baby. Crack cocaine use in pregnancy can also cause fetal death.
References
- "Journal of Family Issues": The Effects of Cocaine and Marijuana Use on Marriage and Marital Stability; Robert Kaestner; March 1997
- Drug Alcohol Rehab: Cocaine Effects
- Case Western Reserve University: Cocaine Babies
- Do It Now Foundation: Crack Kids: Cocaine's Living Legacy
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Crack and Cocaine
