This was before crack

Heroin was certainly around then, but not everyone got sucked into that. Being familiar with the scene, I recall that some kids went for drugs, while others did not. many street kids, or kids who just hung out at night, actually hated the drug scene, and looked down on the junkies. I would think the same would be true of crack, which has got to be the dumbest, most garbage drug out there. Who could fall for a drug that offers a high that lasts a mere 15 seconds, before the user crashes and has to smoke more every 30 seconds? And the high sucks as well, IMO...

On the Subject, "This was before crack"...

Not true. An article in Aperture magazine (no. 181,
"Tiny to Erin: Photographs by Mary Ellen Mark") states the following:

"In 1983, Mary Ellen Mark and her husband, filmmaker Martin
Bell, met thirteen-year-old "Tiny"-Erin Charles-a young girl
living on the streets of downtown Seattle. Their harrowing book
Streetwise, and the corresponding documentary film project
(which premiered in 1985), brought audiences into the life of
Tiny and her friends. Tiny was at that time supporting her crack
habit as a prostitute in Seattle. Now thirty-five, she has nine
children, the youngest four of whom are by her husband Will. In
this 2005 interview with Mark and Bell, Tiny discusses motherhood,
aging, and the surprise of survival. This article commemorates
the twentieth anniversary of the Streetwise project."

Note the important "Tiny was at that time supporting her CRACK habit".

The OFFICIAL "Streewise" facebook group is NOW open to the public .. the link is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Streetwise1984/ (click "join" to join) We have updates, pictures of the kids, stills and more. Many of the ppl from the doc are posting. This group is for the fans AND anyone from this documentary or those who were associated with them. We come together and learn how these street kids have come along in life, we make new friends, share stories. We have learned so much in just 2 month's time, and are having so much fun please come join us :-)