Crack houses in the UK: some observations on their operations

Abstract

While the operations of crack houses have received significant attention in the US, by comparison, in the UK, we lack an insight into the precise mechanisms of such venues. Moreover, crack house literature has leaned more towards examining methods to close crack houses, rather than seeking to understand the operations that support them and their social function. Based on ethnographic research with crack cocaine users during 2004 to 2005, this article discusses the operations of three UK crack houses, providing a rare UK case study. I will suggest that the volatile nature of the social and structural pressures that direct street drug users and drug markets inhibit categorisation at this point.