The Nation - News from Jan. 25, 1988

Police in New Jersey have begun finding drug users with a new smokable form of cocaine that is cheaper, more powerful and more dangerous than crack, officials in Trenton said. The drug, called basuco, or one of several other names, has the potential to surpass crack in use, state police spokesman Sgt. Barry Roberson said. “For two reasons, it could become a drug of choice by some groups,” Roberson said. “One, it’s very inexpensive, only $1 per vial compared to $3 or $4 for crack, and the other reason is that it’s a more potent form of cocaine.” He said basuco is the product of a crude refinement process that leaves high residues of lead and sulfuric acid. As a result, he said, it produces even more brain damage and dysfunction than crack, a highly addictive form of cocaine that is also smoked.