DEA Agent Abe Collins: When Crack Hit Memphis, Addicts Would Do Anything for the Next Hit (Part 1)

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Former Memphis DEA agent Abe Collins shares his firsthand experience battling the city’s devastating crack cocaine epidemic in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Raised in Memphis, Collins began his career with the Memphis Police Department before joining the DEA in 1991. He recalls how crack use transformed the community, with addicts losing all sense of self-preservation and resorting to desperate acts just to score their next hit. According to Collins, many addicted individuals—despite often being intelligent—would do “anything” to get crack, describing how the drug seemed to “call” to users, rendering them unable to function normally. Collins' transition from local police work to federal DEA investigations marked a shift toward more meticulous, long-term efforts targeting major drug suppliers responsible for flooding Memphis with crack. His insights highlight the human toll of the epidemic and the complexities faced by law enforcement in curbing its impact on Memphis neighborhoods.

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