Chapter 22 - Motivations for Use of Crack Cocaine

Abstract

The motivation to use crack cocaine is a relatively understudied area of research as most research has focused on cocaine and intranasal route of administration. Therefore, a motivations approach to understanding substance use can be beneficial in understanding the role of the substance to the user. This chapter first describes cocaine and its various routes of administration; second, the motivations for substance use are outlined; third, a summary of the neurological basis for motivations of crack use is described; and finally, we present empirical research directly examining motivations for crack use. Given the complexity of this issue more empirical evidence on both neurological and societal and individual factors that are needed to gain a more in depth understanding of crack use. It is important to understand motivations of crack cocaine use to develop a deeper understanding of the etiology of use, treatment of misuse, and relapse after abstinence.