Essays are divided into an introductory section and four parts. The introductory section discusses crack in the historical context and in terms of "drug scares" and antidrug crusades, politics, and media coverage. The first part examines myths and realities associated with crack, including culture and ideology in the crack economy, binging and addiction among heavy cocaine smokers, female drug users, the link between crack and homicide in New York City, and the social pharmacology of cocaine. The third part considers crack in comparable societies, such as Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands. The third part analyzes the impact of drug control policies on civil rights, the issue of credibility in the criminal justice system, and alternatives to drug prohibition. The fourth part looks at trends ranging from punitive prohibition to harm reduction, with emphasis on cultural contradictions of punitive prohibition and effective policies to reduce drug harms. References, notes, tables, and figures