I think it's complicated, and I do believe that addiction is a very democratic condition, striking all economic levels and all races (though there is data that points to some races being more susceptible -- such as Native Americans). It does seem that the drug problem is worse in inner cities, and more specifically, within the poor, black community.
A lot of recovering addicts will share their feelings of being different, ineffective, without hope. A friend of mine who's nearing 20 years as a recovering heroin addict, and who was born to a heroin-addicted woman in Harlem during a very turbulent time in America and raised by his grandmother, talks of pimps and drug dealers as the only role models he had to follow. We like to think that every class of people in America are given the same chances, but having been born into a poor and not-quite-white family of blue-collar alcoholics, I was expected to maintain the status quo; there were no dance lessons, no girl scouts, no sports and no talk of college for me. I was expected to marry some hard-working, blue-collar man who wasn't too full of himself and stay at home to make babies. If he stayed out late or knocked me around a bit, well, that was all part of it.
I'm all about breaking cycles. I won't lay the entire responsibility of breaking those cycles on the shoulders of the poor black communities. Educators, policy makers, activists, philosophers, religious leaders, community leaders, social workers all have a part to play in it, but essentially, and this is my opinion, until we improve both the forest and the trees, until we find some sort of spiritual direction (not religious -- I'm not talking about everybody finding Jesus) and purpose, we'll continue to tear ourselves and others apart and watch as others do the same.
Sorry about the rant -- but you hit a nerve.
Peace & Love,
Sugah