Crack Cocaine in Germany — Current State of Affairs

Crack cocaine first appeared in German drug markets during the mid-1990s. For several years the drug could only be found in Frankfurt and Hamburg, major cities with large open drug scenes and well-established transportation infrastructures (these cities contain the largest airport and the biggest harbor in Germany). More recently, however, crack cocaine has been found in other cities as well. Police and drug treatment service data suggest that there has been a continuous, although not dramatic, increase in its use. Crack use is typically part of a poly-drug use pattern (used in combination with heroin, benzodiazepines, methadone and alcohol) in metropolitan areas. Most users are well known to the institutions providing counseling and basic care (contact and sleeping houses and methadone treatment centers), and to the police. In addition to well-known members of the visible/open drug scene, three other groups are using crack: marginalized juveniles, young male and female prostitutes and young migrants. At present there is no research data indicating whether these groups have established a stable pattern of use or if they are drifting into a poly-drug use pattern. This paper provides epidemiological data on crack use in Germany, an assessment of future prevalence estimates and speculation about the impact increasing crack use is likely to have on local drug treatment services.