There is a glut of research surrounding safer alternatives for people who use opioids. Less well researched are safer alternatives for crack cocaine use—though some argue that chewing coca leaf (a precursor to cocaine and, thus, crack) has potential.
A kind of crack vape pen, yet to be developed, could be a valuable harm reduction tool, mitigating some of the health risks of consuming crack from illicit sources, according to a new paper.
“It’s a thought I’ve had for a very long time,” Fabian P. Steinmetz, a toxicologist who co-authored the paper with social scientist Heino Stöver, told Filter.
In Europe, where the paper was drafted, the most commonly seen state-banned substances—outside of cannabis and perhaps MDMA in some jurisdictions—are heroin and crack, he said. Steinmetz noted that there are numerous long-established harm reduction models and tools for heroin (though they are not present in every country).
Doug Johnson – Filter – 2021-11-17.
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