Ukukhotyokiswa Yicrack—Ugonyamelo Olubangelwa Kuko

ICRACK, ibizwa ngolo hlobo ngenxa yesandi esenzayo xa itshiswa ngethuba lokulungiswa kwayo okanye xa itshaywa, ikhobokisa gqitha, iluhlobo lwecocaine olulolona lunamandla ngokugqithiseleyo. Enye ingcali ngokusebenza kweziyobisi engqondweni yesibhedlele esithile yayibiza ngokuba “sesona siyobisi sikhobokisayo esaziwa ngumntu ukuza kuthi ga ngoku. Phantse ibe ikhobokisa ngokukhawuleza.” Elinye igosa labakwantsasana layibiza ngokuba “sesona siyobisi sibi kwezakha zakho. Akakho umntu osebenzisa icocaine eyicrack ukwenzela ukuzihlaziya.”

Ekubeni icocaine eyicrack itshaywa kunokuba itofelwe emithanjeni yegazi okanye igwadwe, abantu abayisebenzisayo ababekade besoyika isisongelo sikaGawulayo ngokusebenzisa iinaliti ezinesi sifo baye bafumanisa ukuba kukho “iingenelo” ezintathu ekusebenziseni icocaine eyicrack​—⁠‘iyengenangozi ngakumbi,’ imiphumo iyephawuleka ngakumbi, umsi usebenza ngokukhawuleza. Owayesakuba likhoboka layo wathi, “Iya ngqo entloko. Isebenza ngokukhawuleza. Kubakho imvakalelo yokungathi umphezulu wentloko yakho uza kugqabhuka.” Oku kuyotywa kugqithiseleyo kuthabatha imizuzu esusela kwemihlanu ukusa kweli-12 kuphela kodwa phantse kube kusoloko kulandelwa yimiphumo etshabalalisayo esenokubashiya abo bayisebenzisayo becaphukile, bedandathekile, bengazinzanga, okanye bephakuzela ngokugqithiseleyo yaye beyinqanqathekele gqitha icrack engakumbi. UGqr. Arnold Washton, ongumalathisi KwiZiko Lokunyanga Ukukhotyokiswa Kwisibhedlele iRegent esiseNew York, uyacacisa, “Eyona ngozi iyintloko yecrack ikukuba kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa ukuya kwiiveki ezimbalwa inokuyilawula ingqondo yakho​—⁠nobomi bakho.”

Ukukhotyokiswa yicrack kunwenwa okomlilo wedobo kwimimandla emininzi yehlabathi. Ngokukodwa eUnited States, ngaphezulu lee kunaseKhanada, eNgilani nakumazwe afanayo aseYurophu, icrack iye yatyhutyha phantse zonke iintlobo zabantu​—⁠abazizityebi, abangamahlwempu, abaphumelelayo, nabaphila ngokuphangela. Ngenxa yokufumaneka nokufikeleleka kwayo ngokulula nemiphumo yayo ebangela uyolo, ithandwa gqitha yaye oku kuya kusiba njalo usuku ngalunye. Amalungu amatsha, abo baza kuba ngamakhoboka ayo, bafumaneka kwiimbombo zezitrato, ezikolweni nakwiindawo zempangelo. Kunokwenzeka ukuba amabhinqa angamalungu yaye kwimigangatho ethile yebutho labantu alidlula lee inani lamadoda ayisebenzisayo. Abantwana abaselula​—⁠abangekafikeleli kwishumi elivisayo⁠—​abafuna uyolo olungxamisekileyo, abangakwaliyo ukusebenzisa iziyobisi, baba ngamaxhoba asesichengeni abo bathengisa icrack ngokungekho mthethweni​—⁠ngokufuthi abantakwabo okanye amanye amalungu entsapho okanye abahlobo abasenyongweni.

Ukukhotyokiswa Kubangela Ugonyamelo

IThe Wall Street Journal ka-Agasti 1, 1989 yanikela le ngxelo, “Icrack inokubangela umzila wogonyamelo olunenkohlakalo kulowo uyisebenzisayo phantse ngokungafaniyo nayo nayiphi na enye into.” “Kutshanje kummandla omelene nedolophu yaseBoston [eUnited States of America] umama oselula owayeyotywe yicrack waluntlitha eludongeni ngamandla usana lwakhe olubomvu kangangokuba loo mntwana wafa ngenxa yokwaphuka ilungu lentamo,” latsho njalo eli phepha. Lo mama wachazwa njengophuma “kwintsapho ehloniphekileyo yodidi oluphakathi.”

Ngenxa yemiphumo yokuziphatha ngendlela enogonyamelo enokubangelwa yicrack kwabo bayisebenzisayo, iingcali ezihlolisisa intlalo yoluntu nezifo zabantwana zeyisekile kukuba esi siyobisi sifak’ isandla ekukhuleni okukhawulezayo kokuphathwa kakubi kwabantwana. Kunokuqhambuka umlo onogonyamelo xa umama oyotywe yicrack eshiyiwe ukuba agcine umntwana ocaphukisayo nothanda ukukhala. Omnye umphengululi wathi, “Akunto ilungileyo ukuba kubekho umntwana phambi kwakho, xa ucaphukile okanye udandathekile naxa uyotywe yicocaine. Yintoni oya kuyenza ngolo sana? Ngokuqinisekileyo oko ungafanele ukwenze.”

Ngelishwa, imiphumo iye yasoloko iyebulalayo. Akunto ingaqhelekanga ukufunda okanye ukuva ngabantu abaselula abakhotyokiswe yicrack bebulala abazali okanye oomakhulu nootatomkhulu babo ababakhulisayo kuba besala ukubanika imali yokuthenga icrack okanye ngenxa yokuba ezi ngedle zibhaqwe ziyitshaya. Amapolisa esiXeko saseNew York aye athi ngamakhoboka aselula naphanjaniswe phantse ngokupheleleyo yicrack awenza ulwaphulo-mthetho lwenkohlakalo.

Noko ke, ezona ziganeko zikhulu nezizezona zenkohlakalo zenzeka kwizitrato zesixeko. Ekubeni imali eyenziwa ngokuthengiswa kwecrack ininzi gqitha ngenxa yokufunwa kwayo kakhulu imihla nezolo, abarhwebi bavakalelwa kukuba ukubulala ngenxa yayo kufanelekile. Bexhobe befe amacala ngezixhobo zamvanje ezisemgangathweni​—⁠oombayimbayi, oombaxa, izixhobo ezingenzi ngxolo neehempe zangaphantsi ekungangeni mbumbulu kuzo⁠—​balinda imimandla yabo bekwiphulo lokufuna abanye abathengisi abaselula ukumisela umzekelo kwabo bebeya kurhwebesha abaxumi babo okanye abo bangayibuyiseli yonke imali eyingeniso yolo suku. Abarhwebi bakulungiselele yaye kulula kubo ukuzinzisa iingxabano zezoshishino ngokuphalaza igazi ngogonyamelo. Umalathisi wabongikazi abasebenza kwigumbi lezongxamiseko wathi, “ukuba uthile udutyulwe emlenzeni okanye uhlatywe esandleni, eso ibisisilumkiso kumntwana owafihla imali okanye iziyobisi ezithile zomrhwebi amsebenzelayo. Ukuba lo mntwana udutyulwe entloko okanye esifubeni, lowo bebezimisele ukumbulala.”

Ingcali ehlolisisa intlalo yoluntu ekwisiXeko saseNew York yathi, “Kungokunje ababulali baneengcwangu gqitha. Akwanele ukubulala. Umzimba uyawuhlazisa. Itshoba selilel’ umbethe ngokudutyulwa ngeembumbulu ezimbini, ngoko ke umdubula ngezintandathu. Umnqumla intloko, okanye wenze enye into.” Elinye igosa elinamava kwezomthetho lathi, “Apho kukho abantwana abasisigidi abangenabo obunye ubuchule ngaphandle kokulwa. Abawoyiki amapolisa okanye intolongo okanye ukufa,” bengenayo inkxalabo ngokukhuseleka nobomi bababukeli abangenatyala abachanabeke kwindawo ekudutyulwana kuyo. Iphephancwadi iTime linikela ingxelo yokuba ekubulaweni kwabantu abangama-387 okunxibelelene namaqela olwaphulo-mthetho kwiNqila yaseLos Angeles ngonyaka omnye, isiqingatha sabafayo yayingababukeli abangenatyala.

Iintsimbi Zegolide, Iinqwelo-mafutha Ezibiza Imali

Ngenxa yogonyamelo olunxibelelene nokukhotyokiswa yicrack, abarhwebi abaselula becrack abaphili xesha lide. Eneneni, baya beselula kwamasongwanyawana. Baye banenkolelo ethi “Ndiza kuphila ubomi obumnandi ngaphambi kokuba ndisithele.” Uninzi lwenza kanye oko. Elinye igosa laseDetroit elikwisebe leziyobisi lathi, “Nangaluphi na usuku unokuya kwisikolo semfundo ephakamileyo uze ubone iiMercedes, iiJeep, iiCadillac neeVolvo ezintsha. Ezi nqwelo-mafutha zezabantwana, asizizo ezabazali.” Abantwana abaselula gqitha ukuba bangaziqhubela baqesha abanye ukuba babaqhubele. Abanye bazibeka esichengeni baze baqhube bengenawo amaphepha-mvume okuqhuba. Bayakwazi ukuzihlawulela ngoko nangoko iinqwelo-mafutha zabo. Ukuba bathe benza ingozi, basuka nje bazishiye ezo nqwelo-mafutha baze basimbel’ isinqe.

Omnye umfundisi-ntsapho wathi, “Abafundi banxiba iimpahla ngalo naluphi na usuku esenokuba ixabisa ii-$2 000.”a Wathi, “Ubona abantu abaselula abaninzi benxibe iibhatyi ezenziwe ngezikhumba ezinoboya beneentsimbi ezinkulu zegolide.” Iphephancwadi iTime likaMeyi 9, 1988 lanikela le ngxelo, “Enyanisweni, igolide yinto abathe thwanga ingqondo yiyo abantu abaselula abahlala embindini wesixeko. Iintsimbi zegolide ezinzima ezibiza imali efikelela kuma-$20 000 zisexesheni gqitha.” Abarhwebi babahlawula kakuhle abathengisi babo abaselula. Ngokomzekelo, abaneminyaka esithoba ukuya kwelishumi ubudala, bafumana i-$100 ngosuku ngokulumkisa abarhwebi ngobukho bamapolisa. Inqanaba elilandelayo lokunyuselwa kukudlulisela iziyobisi ukusuka apho zenziwa khona zisiya kumrhwebi, msebenzi lowo anokuhlawulwa ngawo imali engaphezu kwee-$300 ngosuku. Abo babek’ iliso kwabakwantsasana nabo bahambisa iziyobisi balangazelela ngamandla ukufikelela encotsheni​—⁠ukuba ngumrhwebi. Ngaba unokumthelekelela okwishumi elivisayo, ekunokwenzeka ukuba unemfundo encinane, efumana umvuzo ofikelela kuma-$3 000 ngosuku? Eneneni, bafumana imali eninzi kodwa ikamva lelexesha elifutshane.

Ngokufuthi ngakumbi ububi bokuthengiswa kwecrack ngabaselula buntlangothi-mbini. Kwelinye icala, bathengisa iziyobisi ezinokubangela ukufa nezinokonakalisa ubomi babantu abazisebenzisayo nezinokufak’ isandla kugonyamelo, ngokufuthi bona ngokunokwabo besiba ngamaxhoba. Kwelinye icala, kwiimeko ezininzi, abazali bakhuthaza abantwana babo ukurhweba ngecrack. Ngokuthe rhoqo, umrhwebi oselula ungokuphela komondli okhoyo wosapho, esebenzisa umlinganiselo omkhulu wengeniso ukuxhasa intsapho etsala nzima. Xa abazali bekwala ukuyilungisa le meko baze kunoko bayibethe ngoyaba, baba ngabanesabelo ekukhuthazeni ikhondo lokwaphula umthetho.

Eyona nto itshabalalisa kakhulu kuxa ukuthanda icrack kuludlula lee uthando analo umama ngabantwana bakhe, kwanangomntwana ongekazalwa amthweleyo. Khawuqwalasele indlela etsala nzima ngayo imveku engekazalwa kwinqaku elilandelayo.

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]

“Icrack Ngumdlalo Omtsha Ngokupheleleyo Webhola”

Ekubeni icrack yaveliswa ukuze ibe nomtsalane kwabaselula nabangamahlwempu, ixabiso layo lokuqala lisenokubonakala liphantsi ngokwentelekiso. Abantu abayithengisayo bayithengisa ingamaqhekeza alingana neepilisi kwiibhotile ezincinane zeplastiki ngemali encinane engangeedola ezintlanu ukuya kwezilishumi. Phofu ke, ukuyoba kwayo okuphela kamsinya, phantse kube kufuna ukuba isoloko isetyenziswa. Umalathisi wequmrhu leziko elazisa ngeziyobisi laseFlorida wathi, “Icrack ingumdlalo omtsha ngokupheleleyo webhola. Isisiyobisi esikhobokisa ngokugqithiseleyo, sikwenza oko ngaphezulu lee kunecocaine eqhelekileyo. Iyoba ngokukhawuleza gqitha yaye idakumbisa gqitha kangangokuba ibagcina abo bayisebenzisayo​—⁠kwanabo baqalayo ukuyisebenzisa⁠—​bengakhangelanga kwenye into kodwa ekuyisebenziseni kwakhona.”

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]