The scientific/clinical response to the cocaine epidemic: a MEDLINE search of the literature.

Index Medicus (1966-1990) was searched to quantify and characterize the scientific/clinical community's responses to the cocaine epidemic. The rate of growth in the cocaine literature was compared with the rate of growth in the heroin and marijuana literatures in the 1960s and 1970s. Articles on cocaine increased dramatically over the past 7 years suggesting a clear response from the scientific/clinical community to the public health problems presented by the cocaine epidemic. That literature spans a wide range of areas addressing many scientific and health-care issues. This increase in cocaine citations is similar to that which occurred previously in response to use of heroin and marijuana.