This is the
final Emerald
for Spring
term. See
you on
June 18
Oregon daily
emerald
Monday, June 4, 1984
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 85, Number 168
Ducks win NCAA.
It was a perfect end to the 1984 track season. )im Hill, after finishing third
in the 5,000, leads his teammates in hoisting the championship trophy high
for the crowd of over 14,000.
And after the showing-off, it was a quick dip in the steeplechase pit for
coach Bill Dellinger.
The Ducks were predicted to finish second behind Washington State
University; but in the end, the Ducks depth did in the Cougars.
Led by Joaquim Cruz' first-place double in the 800 and 1,500 and Kory
Tarpenning's unexpected second in the pole vault, the Ducks finished with
113 points to WSU's 9415.
Story and photo on page 14.
Photo by Mark Pynes
Cocaine: it's not just for rich folk anymore
By Jolayne Houtz
of the Emerald
Few people would spend $500 for a
gold ring they could keep only one night.
But an ounce of cocaine is four times
as expensive as an ounce of gold, and
more than a few students would be will
ing to lay out that kind of cash for a one
night coke spree, according to several
campus-area dealers.
Despite the expense, cocaine is no
longer a "rich man's drug," and demand
is high, especially for the growing
number of occasional users who buy the
drug for special events, such as the re
cent Clash concert.
"For a Tuesday night, demand was way
up (for the Clash concert) — it isn't
necessarily used solely on the weekends
anymore," says a former student cocaine
dealer who asked not to be identified.
Costs vary according to the dealer's
connections and the drug's quality, but
cocaine is usually $30 per quarter-gram,
$55 per half-gram and $110 a full-gram.
Although cocaine generally originates
in Bolivia and Columbia, the best tends
to come from Peru. "Word has it that it's
being processed in the States lately
because of the crack-down in those
countries," the dealer says.
The drug is then shipped to various .
distribution areas such as Florida,
because of its proximity to South
America, and California with its high
distribution rate. From there it is dealt
out in small amounts to a growing
number of small-time dealers.
"It's almost a middle-class drug now
because of its availability," says a second
dealer, also a student at the University.
"It's definitely not an elite drug. It's prac
tically on the same level as marijuana
now."
Often students are able to afford co
caine because their families are well-off
or the student "loses all priorities about
where money should go and ends up in
extreme debt," says a third student who
deals at the University.
But most often, the cash is available
because a student chooses to use "spen
ding money" for cocaine rather than
movies or a date.
"They would rather spend $30 on Fri
day for a quarter than $5 a day Monday
through Friday," the first dealer says.
But students could end up spending
time in jail or maybe the hospital.
"I don't understand how people can
read stories about the Kennedys or John
Belushi and still use it (cocaine)," says
Lieutenant Rick Nelson of the Eugene
police department.
In Eugene, cocaine use has increased
tremendously, he says.
And according to student users, co
caine's increasing popularity is at
tributed to many factors.
"It makes people forget about their
worries because it's fun, and it's exciting
because it is illegal," says an occasional
cocaine user.
"One reason is it gets your body and
mind happy, but it doesn't fog your
memory like alcohol — you can
remember what happened the next mor
ning and there's rarely a hangover," says
a second student user.
"It's not addictive to the point that
after two lines you're saying, 'God, who's
TV can I steal?"' the first dealer says.
But cocaine is one of the most addic
tive drugs around, because it builds
tolerance so quickly, says Mark Miller,
director of the University's Drug Infor
mation Center.
The more often someone uses cocaine,
the more they require to achieve the
same euphoric affect, Miller says. Co
caine increases alertness, euphoria and
body temperature, but decreases ap
petite, Miller says. Users become over
alert, over-reactive, aggressive and have
trouble controlling their tempers.
"It becomes a true form of psychosis,"
he says.
Next to alcohol, cocaine is the biggest
drug problem on campus, Miller says.
Campus dealers have an average of
about 20 customers, 10 of whom could
be described as regular users. One
dealer says he sells one-half to one
ounce of cocaine per week, while
another source puts the figure between
an eighth and a quarter of an ounce.
Continued on Page 4