Ukulutha KweCrack—Isimo Esibucayi Songakazalwa
LAPHO icrack cocaine iqala ukuvela enkundleni yomhlaba ngasekuqaleni kwawo-1980, abantu abambalwa ababeyisebenzisa abazange bayikholelwe imiphumela ebulalayo eyayingase ibe nayo. Ngaphandle kwalokho, yayingabhenywa yini ngamapayipi amancane enziwe ngengilazi akhangayo noma ixutshaniswe nogwayi emicwini kagwayi noma insangu? Kwakuvamile ukuzwa abantu bethi icrack iyisidakamizwa esilondekile. Ngokuqinisekile yayibiza kangcono kuneheroin noma olunye uhlobo lwecocaine. Abantu ababehola imali ephansi babengase bakwazi ukuyithenga. Injabulo icrack eyayiyiletha yabonakala iyifanele inzuzo kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ingabalahlekiselani.
Nokho, ubufakazi obumangalisayo bezingozi ezibangelwa icrack bagcwala emakhasini amaphephandaba ezokwelapha lapho abantu abakhulelwe abayisebenzisayo beqala ukuzala izinsana ezithonywe izidakamizwa. Odokotela baqala ukuxwayisa ngemiphumela eyesabekayo icrack cocaine engaba nayo kongakazalwa. Inani lezinsana ezikhubazekile, ezinye ezingasenakwelapheka, laqala ukwanda unyaka nonyaka. Omunye udokotela wathi: “Lapho icrack cocaine ihlasela, inani labantwana abancane abagulayo lamane leqela ngalé kophahla.”
Lapho icrack isetshenziswa kakhulu khona, izibalo ziyakuqinisekisa lokho. Ngokuvumelana nokuhlola okwenziwa iNational Association for Perinatal Addiction Research and Education, ezibhedlela ezingu-36 eUnited States ngo-1988, amaphesenti angu-11 abantwana abasanda kuzalwa baseU.S., noma abantwana abalinganiselwa ku-375 000 ngonyaka, manje basengozini yezidakamizwa ngesikhathi sokukhulelwa. INew York Times ibika ukuthi phakathi kuka-1986 no-1988, “inani labantwana abasanda kuzalwa elahlolwa eDolobheni laseNew York latholwa linezimpawu zezidakamizwa—ikakhulukazi icocaine—lacishe laphindeka izikhathi ezine, lisukela ku-1 325 ukuya ku-5 088.”
Imiphumela Eyesabeka Kakhulu
UDkt. Richard Fulroth, isazi sezokwelapha saseYunivesithi yaseStanford wathi: “Omama abasebenzisa icrack cocaine bangabagula kunabo bonke enizobabona. Bafika ngaso kanye isikhathi abazobeletha ngaso, futhi uyaye nje ubambe umoya ulindele ukubona ukuthi yini ozoyithola.” Ngokuvame kakhulu obekukhula esibelethweni somuntu osebenzisa icrack akukuhle. Icrack ingase ibangele ukushwankana emithanjeni yegazi yomntwana, ivimbele ukugeleza okubalulekile komoya-mpilo nezakhi zomzimba isikhathi eside. Ukukhula kombungu, kuhlanganise ubukhulu bekhanda nobuchopho, kungase kukhubazeke. Ngokuvamile ziphathwa ukuthwebuleka komzimba kanye nesithuthwane, kungase futhi kube nokukhubazeka kwezinso, izitho zobulili, amathumbu, nomfunkulu. Kukhona futhi nengozi yokuqaqeka kweplacenta esizalweni, okubulala umbungu futhi okungase kubulale nomama.
Lapho umntwana wecrack ezalwa, odokotela nabahlengikazi bangabona ubufakazi obusobala bokulimala okubangelwe isidakamizwa. Omunye umbiko wachaza ingane enjalo “njengeqatha elincane nje lenyama elinekhanda elilingana nenantshi nezingalo nemilenze emincanyana.” Ezikhathini eziningi, kwabika umagazini iDiscover, abantwana becocaine baye bazalwa bengenayo iminwe emibili ephakathi nendawo yesandla.
UDokotela Dan R. Griffith, isazi sesayensi yokusebenza kwengqondo eYunivesithi yaseNtshonalanga-nyakatho, wathi abantwana abangavikelekile kuyicocaine ngokuvamile bazalwa “benesimiso semizwa esibuthakathaka kakhulu nesisheshe siphazamiseke kalula.” Bayashesha ukuzwela futhi basheshe bacasuke, bakhale kakhulu ngokungathuliseki ngokucasulwa okungasho lutho. ‘Umsindo ovela esithubeni noma ukuhlaliswa ngenye indlela, ngisho nokukhuluma nomntwana noma ukumbheka kungabhebhezela ukukhala okungapheli,’ kwasho lodokotela. ‘Eminye imiphumela esobala yokulimala okubangelwa izidakamizwa kumntwana osanda kuzalwa,’ uDkt. Griffith ayichazayo, ‘ingase ibe lapho abantwana bebalekela ekulaleni amaphesenti angu-90 esikhathi ukuze bazigcine befihlekile ezintweni ezibacasulayo ezingaphandle. Abavuki ngisho noma behlutshulwa izingubo, bekhulunyiswa, bedlaliswa, noma bebanjwa ngezandla.’
Lezinkinga zokusebenza kwesimiso semizwa zingaqhubeka izinyanga eziningi, kwasho udokotela, kanjalo zibangele kokubili ukukhungatheka okungokwengqondo nokungokomzimba kumama ngesikhathi lapho isibopho sothando nokusondelana kudingeke ukuba kwakhiwe. “Umntwana uthambekela ekudumazeni unina futhi acasuke kakhulu lapho unina ezama ukunakekela izidingo zakhe. Umama uyahoxa osaneni futhi alwenyanye ngenxa yokungasabeli ekulukhathaleleni kwakhe,” kunezela udokotela. Ngokuvamile lokhu kuziphatha ngasohlangothini losana kanye nokwenyanya kukamama kuholela ekuphathweni kabi kwengane.
Abantwana Abasanda Kuzalwa Abalahliwe
Ngenxa yokuthi isimo sabantwana abanjalo abasanda kuzalwa siyingozi kakhulu, ukuhlala kwabo esibhedlela kungase kube amasonto futhi ngezinye izikhathi kube izinyanga. Nokho, ngokuvame kakhulu ukuhlala isikhathi eside akubangelwa kakhulu isimo somntwana njengoba kunjalo ngesimo sikamama ngakumntwana wakhe. Izikhathi eziningi umama umane ashiye usana lwakhe esibhedlela, elwenza intandane yedolobha. Omunye udokotela okhathazekile wakhononda: “Angimqondi umama ongabuzi lutho ngomntwana, ohambisa okwejuba likaNowa.” Abanye abahlali ngisho nesikhashana ukuze bethe umntwana igama. Abahlengikazi kumelwe babenzele lokho. Omunye umhlengikazi oyisisebenzi sasesibhedlela wathi: “Isici esiphawulekayo nesicashe kakhulu sokusetshenziswa kwecrack cocaine, sibonakala siwukwenziwa buthaka kokusabela okungokwemvelo okuhlangene nenimba.” Esinye isibhedlela kwaze kwadingeka ngisho nokuba sithumele izingcingo kubazali abangenasithakazelo ukuze bazosayina banikeze imvume yokuba kwenziwe ukuhlolwa komzimba ukuze kutholwe imbangela yokufa lapho abantwana befa. Ingabe lokhu kuyakushaqisa?
Ngenxa yomthwalo womsebenzi wabahlengikazi basesibhedlela, labantwana abanikezwa uthando nokunakekelwa abakudinga kakhulu. Kwezinye izimo lapho amakhaya okutholwa engatholakali ngokushesha, abantu abanomusa abathanda izingane baye banikela ngesikhathi sabo, amahora ambalwa isonto ngalinye, ukuze babe abazanyana balezinsana ezilahliwe. Esinye isisebenzi sathi: “Bayazifunza, bacule, badlale, bazidlalise futhi bazishintshe izingubo zokugqoka. Baziphatha ngendlela abebengenza ngayo ezinganeni zabo siqu. Kuyazijabulisa kakhulu izingane. Abanye babo bahlala lapha isikhathi eside.”
Liziphatheleni ikusasa lezingane ezikhubazwe icocaine? Amazinga okuhlakanipha (IQ) azo angaphansi kwavamile ayobangela inkinga yangesikhathi esizayo kothisha ekubhekaneni nayo. “Ngenxa yokukhubazeka komzimba nokokukhula, lezingane ziyoba inkinga kuzo ngokwazo nasemphakathini iminyaka engu-40 noma engu-50,” kwasho esinye isazi sezingane. Ngempela icrack iye yenza uphawu olungasoze lwacisheka emphakathini.