ArticleBMC public health2010
Surviving crack: a qualitative study of the strategies and tactics developed by Brazilian users to deal with the risks associated with the drug.
Article in BMC public health, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 49 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cannabinoid exposure across substance use disorders: Short-term symptom benefits without sustained therapeutic gains in a tier-weighted systematic review.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2026Pooled it
- Restrictive Deterrence in Drug Offenses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis of Mixed Studies.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Pooled it
- Contingency management is effective in promoting abstinence and retention in treatment among crack cocaine users in Brazil: A randomized controlled trial.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2016Trial
- Association between alcohol and crack: Prevalence, effects, associated factors and experiences of combined use.PloS one · 2021Article
- Argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions in oral mucosa cells of crack and cocaine users: a cross-sectional study.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2020Article
- Contingency management is effective in promoting abstinence and retention in treatment among crack cocaine users with a previous history of poor treatment response: a crossover trial.Psicologia, reflexao e critica : revista semestral do Departamento de Psicologia da UFRGS · 2019Article
- Is there room for resilience? A scoping review and critique of substance use literature and its utilization of the concept of resilience.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2017Article
- Assessing the experience of using synthetic cannabinoids by means of interpretative phenomenological analysis.Harm reduction journal · 2017Article
- The interplay between drug-use behaviors, settings, and access to care: a qualitative study exploring attitudes and experiences of crack cocaine users in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil.Harm reduction journal · 2015Article
- Factors that lead to the use of crack cocaine in combination with marijuana in Brazil: a qualitative study.BMC public health · 2015Article
- Neighbourhood structural characteristics and crack cocaine use: exploring the impact of perceived neighbourhood disorder on use among African Americans.The International journal on drug policy · 2014Article
- Aberrant disgust responses and immune reactivity in cocaine-dependent men.Biological psychiatry · 2014Article
- Patterns, determinants and barriers of health and social service utilization among young urban crack users in Brazil.BMC health services research · 2013Article
- Cocaine use during pregnancy and health outcome after 10 years.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2012Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDue to marginalization, trafficking violence, conflicts with the police and organic and social psychological problems associated with the drug, crack is one of the most devastating drugs currently in use. However, there is evidence that some users manage to stay alive and active while using crack cocaine for many years, despite the numerous adversities and risks involved with this behavior. In this context, the aim of the present study was to identify the strategies and tactics developed by crack users to deal with the risks associated with the culture of use by examining the survival strategies employed by long-term users.
methodA qualitative research method was used involving semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Twenty-eight crack users fulfilling a pre-defined enrollment criterion were interviewed. This criterion was defined as the long-term use of crack (i.e., at least four years). The sample was selected using information provided by key informants and distributed across eight different supply chains. The interviews were literally transcribed and analyzed via content analysis techniques using NVivo-8 software.
resultsThere was diversity in the sample with regard to economic and education levels. The average duration of crack use was 11.5 years. Respondents believed that the greatest risks of crack dependence were related to the drug's psychological effects (e.g., cravings and transient paranoid symptoms) and those arising from its illegality (e.g., clashes with the police and trafficking). Protection strategies focused on the control of the psychological effects, primarily through the consumption of alcohol and marijuana. To address the illegality of the drug, strategies were developed to deal with dealers and the police; these strategies were considered crucial for survival.
conclusionsThe strategies developed by the respondents focused on trying to protect themselves. They proved generally effective, though they involved risks of triggering additional problems (e.g., other dependencies) in the long term.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.