Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Behind the Eight Ball documents an American tragedy that highlights the widening gap between social and economic classes. In their own words, poor black women share the details of their lives before and after crack cocaine invaded their communities, each recalling the circumstances of her introduction to the drug and her first experience using sex to support her addiction. These candid interviews expose the changes in inner-city neighborhoods that created the perfect conditions for a crack stronghold. They also highlight the crack cocaine economy's impact on the lives of inner-city residents and the social consequences of crack addiction for women like "April," who suffered a series of family tragedies including deaths from AIDS, child abuse and neglect, and the state-ordered removal of all the minor children in her family."--Jacket.

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