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Cocaine and Crack in Amsterdam: Diverging Subcultures

Recreational cocaine use spread rapidly in Amsterdam at the end of the 1970s, particularly as a “party drug” in clubs and discotheques. At the end of the 1980s, the role of cocaine as party drug was largely taken over by ecstasy. In contrast, first cocaine and then crack cocaine increased in popularity among heroin addicts and marginalized street youth, including homeless youth and young prostitutes. Today, experimental use of crack is also observed among young people from socially deprived neighborhoods, especially among ethnic minorities. This article describes, mainly on the basis of ethnographic studies among these groups, the evolving and diverging patterns of use among trendsetting party youth and their marginalized counterparts. Important differences may be observed between groups related to socio-economic background, the role cocaine plays in their lives, transmission routes, and different operating market mechanisms influenced by drug policy. For party youth, cocaine use mainly serves recreational purposes. In contrast, for problem youth, cocaine, and now especially crack, contribute to multi-problem behavior within the context of their marginalized lifestyles.