Crack Cocaine Use and Women’s Health

By Faten K. Alghamdi

Researches are identifying growth in the number of women addicted to smoking crack cocaine, who are going through significant health problems.  It is believed that those women with their abusive addiction are isolating themselves from the society which prevents them from receiving proper treatment.  Alarming numbers are showing women suffering of major health problems, being abused, not having normal life, and socially isolated.  Significant evidence is discovered relating risk of getting HIV in women who are addicted to crack.

Smoking crack requires the use of pipe, push stick and a flame source.  The pipe is usually made of glass, where the push stick is commonly a car antenna.  Steel wool is used as primary filter, which causes burns to the mouth and throat as it travels in flame through the pipe.  Also, constant use of antenna as a push stick for the crack causes the glass in the pipe to weaken and break increasing the risk of cuts in the hand.  The research showed that women who share smoking equipment have contributed to spreading infections, which increased the risk of getting life threatening diseases. 

The finding of the research shows that women health problems are not only caused be crack cocaine smoking but also related to their lives.  Women with previous trauma, experiences of violence, and are poor, are more likely to smoke crack to find comfort and as a result experience major health problems.  Poverty was considered the main cause of most health problems, since women would tend to find income through prostitution.  Evidence was found to relate women addiction to crack cocaine with health diseases from sharing smoking equipment and prostitution, and deaths by suicide or homicide in the streets.

Reference

Bungay, V., Johnson, J. L., Varcoe, C., Boyd, S.: Women’s health and use of crack cocaine in context: Structural and ‘everyday’ violence.  International Journal of Drug Policy. Volume 21, Issue 4, July 2010, pages 321—329.