subject: Legacy Of Len Bias: Crack Cocaine Still A Major Problem In America [print this page] In 1986, 22-year old basketball star Len Bias seemed primed for NBA stardom. With his powerful leaping ability, the vibrant University of Maryland forward had drawn comparisons to Michael Jordan, then in his second year with the Chicago Bulls.
But in the early morning hours of June 19, just two days after he was drafted second overall by the Boston Celtics, Bias lay helpless in his campus dorm room. A night of celebration had turned fatal Bias began seizing.
Five hours later, he was pronounced dead. According to the Prince Georges County Coroners report: Bias died of a heart attack induced by cocaine intoxification.
Bias death shocked the nation. Just one year earlier, a report by New York Times illustrated the devastating effects of this new, powerful version of smoke able cocaine that was becoming increasingly popular in both inner-city neighborhoods and among Hollywood celebrities.
Now the drug had claimed the life of a prodigious young star and All-American, sending an alarming message to parents across the nation drug use is becoming rampant, widespread, and even deadly among American youth.
It prompted President Ronald Reagan to immediately sign the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which mandated harsher sentences for drug-related crimes, and allocated millions of dollars towards drug education and treatment programs.
Twenty-four years following Bias death and Reagans legislation, cocaine use is still a problem. It has claimed the lives of a number of influential people since, including 23-year old actor River Phoenix in 1993, actor and comedian Chris Farley in 1997, and TV pitchman Billy Mays in 2009.
According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, approximately 33.7 million Americans age 12 and older have tried cocaine at least once in their lifetimes, and one out of four Americans have between the ages of 26 and 34 have used cocaine.
Even more disturbing according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in 2007, Bias age group at the time of his death, adults age 18-25, had the highest rate of cocaine use.
Need more proof that cocaine use is still rampant in the United States? In 2005, the drugs $70-million market value topped that of Starbucks, which operates over 7,000 coffee shops nation-wide and ranked third that year among companies in the food services industry.
So what can be done about cocaine abuse in America in order to stop this epidemic? Those who suspect cocaine abuse among their friends and loved ones should try to intervene, or contact authorities. Because of the power effects of cocaine, withdrawal can make it very difficult for people to quit it can also make an intervention very dangerous. With medically supervised detox treatment and therapy, people can get treatment for cocaine addiction, and can develop coping skills to help them resist cravings. Crack cocaine addiction treatment is available virtually everywhere. Get the help you need, or for your loved ones before its too late.
