The cocaine industry has seen unimaginable sums of money and more than 35,000 murders in the past five years. Much of the violence has occurred along the border between the United States and Mexico. That’s just one aspect of the cocaine epidemic explored in the feature-length documentary “Cocaine: A History Between the Lines.”
Always been this way. As the film shows, public perception of cocaine has undergone a fascinating shift since its introduction in the late 19th century. Once it caught on, it was promoted by Sigmund Freud as a panacea. But over time, the drug’s highly addictive properties began to receive attention, and it was quickly classified as an illegal drug.
That hasn’t stopped the drug from spreading to cities across the U.S., or to the cartels that continue to profit from the $30 billion-a-year industry. Cocaine use may have peaked decades ago, but it never went away. With the advent of crack cocaine in the 1980s, the trade became deadlier and more toxic than ever. The high demand for this product has brought more than 70 percent of Mexico under the control of the smuggling trade. U.S. law enforcement agencies from Texas to California fear the nefarious elements will soon invade their country unchallenged. Border security is lax and Washington bureaucrats are doing little to resolve the crisis, according to officials interviewed for the film. For them, finding mutilated bodies — whether of human traffickers, illegal immigrants or innocent bystanders — has become routine.
Most users themselves are unaware of this harsh reality, from the hottest clubbers to the homeless across America. Every user pictured in the video shared their experience with the alluring white powder. Whether they use the drug recreationally or out of habit, they all experience the effects it has on their lives.
From the personal to the political, Cocaine: A History Between the Lines is a comprehensive account of a drug that wreaks havoc.
