They also examined health habits, and some respondents returned for extensive life-history interviews. Some of the most fascinating information comes from comparing the drug-taking habits of different ethnic groups, says Bernard Bryant, a project interviewer. Whites don't use as much cocaine. They're more into pills, heroin and even methadone. The drug use is very different.
Whites use a tremendous amount of pills in combination with hard drugs.
Blacks, however, will ingest pills if they socialize with whites who are into that form of addiction, Bryant says. Despite their different drug-addiction patterns, whites and blacks, in general, commit the same kinds of crimes, Pettiway says. They do some robberies, burglaries, theft and a lot of prostitution. Since his research began, Pettiway says he has attended church regularly and consulted with his priest for spiritual guidance. The horrible stories and pain he chronicles sometimes take a heavy toll.