Cocaine/Crack

What is cocaine/crack?

Cocaine is a powerfully reinforcing psychostimulant that directly affects the brain. It is found in two chemical forms Hydrochloride salt cocaine and crack. Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca plant. Producing "paste" from these leaves was originally the first step in making cocaine. Nowadays, the leaves are processed into something called "base". After the impurities are removed from the base, chemicals are added to convert it into cocaine. 

The Hydrochloride salt cocaine is sold on the streets as a fine, white crystalline powder known as "coke," "snow," "flake," or "blow". It is generally diluted with cornstarch, talcum powder, sugar, and/or active drugs such as procaine or amphetamines and can be either sniffed or dissolved in water and injected. Crack is the freebase form of cocaine that has been processed from the powdered cocaine hydrochloride to form a smokeable substance.

How is it used?

Cocaine is usually injected, snorted, smoked, or swallowed by the user. The drug can also be rubbed into mucous tissues. The duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects depends upon the route of administration. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high and the shorter the duration of action. Intravenous injection releases the drug directly into the bloodstream and heightens the intensity of the effects. When the powder is inhaled through the nostrils, it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Smoking involves the inhalation of cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs, where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid as by injection. The high that a user experiences from smoking crack occurs in less than 10 seconds.

How does it work?

Cocaine's effects appear almost immediately after a single dose and disappear within a few minutes or hours. Cocaine's stimulant and addictive effects are thought to be primarily the result of its ability to inhibit the re-absorption of dopamine by nerve cells. This buildup of dopamine causes continuous stimulation of receiving neurons, resulting in cocaine-associated euphoria. Taken in small amounts, cocaine causes the user to feel euphoric, energetic, talkative, and mentally alert. It can also decrease appetite and the need for sleep. Some users claim that cocaine helps them to perform simple physical and intellectual tasks more quickly and easily. Cocaine also constricts blood vessels, increases body temperature, and dilates pupils.

What are its negative side effects?

The euphoria of cocaine ingestion is followed by a "crash" period. During this time, anxiety, depression, irritability, extreme fatigue, and possibly paranoia can occur. Tolerance to the euphoric effects of cocaine often develops as use continues. Higher and higher doses are thus required for the brain to register the same level of pleasure experienced during the initial use. The long-term effects of cocaine include addiction, irritability and mood disturbances, restlessness, paranoia, and auditory hallucinations. Other medical consequences of cocaine use include headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks, chest pain and respiratory failure, seizures, and strokes.

What are some common street names for cocaine?

Common street names for cocaine include coke, crack, blow, snow, bump, C, and dust.