NCJ Number
131587
Journal
Challenge Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (July 1990) Pages: 1-23
Date Published
1990
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the view that the drug crisis is the main problem facing black residents of low-income neighborhoods concludes that the basic problem facing these communities is the lack of legitimate entrepreneurial opportunities, not drugs.
Abstract
Statistical evidence from several sources contradicts the view that drugs and drug policies are genocidal factors operating to kill young black males. Surveys show that overall drug use is declining and that drug abuse rates are lower among blacks than among whites. The sharp declines in cocaine prices have also made drug dealing less profitable to street-level sellers. However, black participation in drug trafficking has apparently increased. One source of this increase may be the exclusion of homeless persons, prison inmates, and other at-risk groups from conventional surveys; thus, addiction among blacks may be increasing while casual use is decreasing. This increase, together with the attractiveness of drug dealing for young black males who lack opportunities to become owners of legitimate businesses, may explain the growth in blacks' involvement in drug trafficking. Thus, the so-called drug crisis confronting black communities reflects the evolution of misguided policies that provide only basic skills for workers rather than opportunities and rewards for black youths with entrepreneurial talents. Figures, notes, and 9 references