Fast Lives: Women Who Use Crack Cocaine

256 Pages·1999·9.68 MB·English

by  Claire Sterk

Fast Lives
Women Who Use Crack Cocaine
Fast
Lives
Women Who Use
Crack Cocaine
Claire E. Sterk
1
Temple University Press PHILADELPHIA
Temple University Press, Philadelphia 19122
Copyright © 1999 by Temple University
All rights reserved
Published 1999
Printed in the United States of America
® The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sterk, Claire E., 1957-
Fast lives : women who use crack cocaine / Claire E. Sterk.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-56639-671-9 (cloth : alk. paper). — ISBN 1-56639-672-7
(pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Women—Drug use—United States. 2. Crack (Drug)—United
States. 3. Women—United States—Social conditions. I. Title.
HV5824.W6S8 1999
362.29'82'0820973 —dc21 98-3579
CIP
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
1 Getting Into Drugs 30
2 Patterns of Income Generation and Drug Use 47
3 Significant Others:
The Women's Steady Partners 78
4 Reproduction and Motherhood 99
5 Of and On: Experiences with Drug Treatment 119
6 Female Drug Users and the AIDS Epidemic 14
7 Violent Encounters 173
8 Past Experiences, Future Aspirations
and Policies 192
Notes 217
Bibliography 25
Index 235
Acknowledgments
This book would not have been possible without the
help of many people. In college and graduate school, I was
very fortunate to learn about ethnographic research from
Frank Bovenkerk, Institute of Criminology, University of
Utrecht, and Charles Kaplan, University of Limburg. My
first job as a drug researcher was with Charlie at Erasmus
University in Rotterdam. In the United States, I benefited
enormously from the support of Bill Kornblum, Terry
Williams, Charles Winick, the late Vernon Boggs, and oth-
ers of the Graduate School and University Center, City Uni-
versity of New York. They always were available to listen to
my stories, to coach me, and to provide emotional support.
Bill and his family treated me as a member. Vernon was my
"partner in crime." He was a true friend, always there to
watch my back. Most importantly, he taught me to believe
in myself.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) provided a
substantial portion of the funding for this research (R29DA-
07407; RO1DA09819; RO1DA10642). Many staff members
made the research possible, and special mention should be
made of my project officers, Mario DeLaRosa, Coryl Jones,
Susan Coyle, Helen Cesari, Elizabeth Lambert, and Rich
Needle. The Neighborhood Research Program of the Foun-
dation for Child Development in New York supported re-
search on the impact of community characteristics on the
lives of young children. In addition, a grant from the Re-
search Office of Georgia State University allowed me to ex-
Vll
vi Acknowledgments
pand the breadth of my work. Despite the various funding
sources, the research became known as project FAST, the
Female Atlanta Study. Many of the women in this study re-
ferred to the fast lifestyle associated with crack cocaine use,
which gave added meaning to the project's name.
Many colleagues and friends have provided feedback on
my ideas at professional meetings or during informal inter-
actions. Among them, I especially would like to thank Mike
Agar, the late Patrick Biernacki, Myra Burnett, Eloise Dun-
lap, Sam Friedman, Don DesJarlais, Billy DiFazio, Michael
Giles, Laetitia Goldstein, Jim Hall, John Hagendorn, Nic
Kozel, Selma Marks, Rani Marx, Jeanne McGettigan, Art
Murphy, Sheigla Murphy, Al Pach, David Petersen, Richard
Rothenberg, Chuck Rutheiser, Marcel Scholtes, the late
John Waters, Wayne Wiebel, and Terry Williams. They all
contributed to the content of the book or to my mental
well-being. Patsy Ulmer's phone calls and the many relax-
ing hours with Carol Hansen boosted my spirits.
Countless people assisted with the completion of this
project. I fear I will forget to mention someone and I ask
their forgiveness in advance. I would like to thank Wanda
Baker, Susan Maleski, and Tanya Sharpe, who participated
in the early days of the research. In addition, the following
individuals contributed with interviewing, mapping, tran-
scribing, and many other tasks: Lotta Danielson, Kathy
Dolan, Lithia Givens, Susan Hart, Stephani Hatch, Sarah
Heathcote, Shirley Jordan, Lee Jenkins, Cecilia Lyles,
Yvonne "Kiki" Medina, and the late Sterling White. Many
other community members and graduate students helped
with the research, a process described by many as having
opened their eyes to lives different from their own. They
kept their good humor even when life got hectic. Rhonda
Mullen always took time to edit my work in progress, and
Acknowledgments ix
she must have had some good laughs as she polished my
early drafts. I aspire to become a writer like her. Michael
Ames of Temple University Press provided the final push to
complete this project and I thank him for his assistance.
During my earlier years as a child in a coal mining town
in the Netherlands, I learned about the relativity of life, its
joys and its struggles. At high school, I learned about drugs
and their negative consequences. I watched friends getting
sick and losing control. My parents, Sjef and Thea Sterk, al-
lowed me to become the person I am. They often wondered
where I was headed. My siblings Liset and John and their
families never tired of hearing another story.
Sometimes I wonder how the world around me contin-
ued to function. My "special" daughters, Kristin and Shel-
ley constantly reminded me of the joys of life. They were
perfect adolescents and have matured into wonderful young
adults. While they requested regular updates on my pro-
gress, they also made sure I found time to play with them
and give back rubs. Kirk Elifson, my husband, never com-
plained about "having to do it all." His contributions would
be too great to list here, but heTl always be my "kabouter."
I know I pushed limits, caused him to be concerned about
my safety, and, at times, was obsessed with the FAST
women. I thank him for accepting all my flaws and I dedi-
cate this book to him.
My greatest debt is to the women whose stories appear
in the following pages. They must remain anonymous. I
hope the reader senses their strength. Already vulnerable,
they were willing to talk openly about their lives. I will
never be able to truly express my gratitude to them. They
were willing to let me, a stranger, into their lives. This work
has allowed me to develop close friendships with women
whom I otherwise might never have met.