The findings reveal that crack abusers use more drugs and at greater expense than those whose drug use is limited to one type of drug (heroin, cocaine, or marijuana); furthermore, crack use among crack abusers exceeds other drug use in frequency and expense. Crack abusers are more heavily involved in drug selling and criminality than other groups. In addition, crack abusers have higher incomes and frequency from nondrug criminality than cocaine powder users, but there is a similar pattern between heroin injectors and crack abusers. By 1988, crack had become the most frequently sold drug on the street market; crack sales generate more income than sales of other drugs or the commission of other crimes. Heroin addicts often use crack sales to finance their purchases of heroin. Public policy should be directed at making treatment available to crack abusers and to controlling and limiting the selling activities related to crack. Future research should examine the career paths in drug sales and nondrug criminality and changes in drug abuse patterns among people who became crack abusers in the late 1980's. 12 tables, 22 notes, 39 references, and 2 appendixes
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