What is cocaine What is Crack Cocaine is

What is cocaine? What is Crack? Cocaine is a white powder that is usually mixed with substances such as corn starch, talcum powder, and/ or sugar and other drugs. Crack cocaine is the crystal form of cocaine. It comes in solid blocks or crystals varying in color from yellow to pale rose or white. Cocaine is one of the most dangerous drugs available today. It has been proven that once a person begins taking the drug, It is almost impossible to break the habit. Crack is the most potent form of cocaine and also the riskiest. It is between 75% and 100% pure, much stronger than regular cocaine. Origin of cocaine Cocaine is extracted from coca leaves and was originally used as a painkiller.

How is it used? Cocaine is most often sniffed with the powder being absorbed into the blood stream through the nasal tissues. It can also be ingested or rubbed into the gums. To more rapidly absorb the drug into the body, abusers inject it. Inhaling it as smoke or vapor speeds absorption with less risk than injecting. Street names Coca, Coke, Crack, Flake, Snow, Blow, Dust, Nose Candy, Paradise and Soda Cot Crack is heated and smoked. It is so named because it makes a cracking or popping sound when heated. Smoking it allows it to reach the brain more quickly. If the substance is smoked rather than snorted, an abuser can become addicted after their first time trying crack. Street names Apple Jacks, Crunch and Munch, Kryptonite, Hard Rock, Cloud, Base, and Devil Drug

Short Term Effects Cocaine causes a short-lived intense high followed by intense depression. Crack causes a short-lived intense high followed by intense depression. People who use cocaine: • don’t eat properly • don’t sleep properly • experience increased heart rate • have muscle spasms • can have convulsions • may become paranoid, angry, hostile, and anxious People who use crack: • don’t eat properly • don’t sleep properly • experience increased heart rate • have muscle spasms • can have convulsions • may become paranoid, angry, hostile, and anxious Crack increases the risk for: • heart attack • stroke • seizure • respiratory failure • sudden death

Long Term Effects Cocaine As tolerance to cocaine increases, it becomes necessary to take greater and greater quantities to get the same high. Daily use of cocaine causes: • sleep deprivation • loss of appetite • a person to become psychotic • hallucinations • permanent damage to blood vessels of the heart and brain • malnutrition and weight loss • liver, kidney, and lung damage • High blood pressure, leading to heart attacks, strokes, and death Crack In addition to the risks associated with cocaine, crack users may experience respiratory problems, including coughing, shortness of breath, lung damage and bleeding. People who use crack may have: • permanent damage to blood vessels of the ear and brain • liver, kidney, and lung damage • severe chest pain • malnutrition, weight loss • severe depression • Increased frequency of risky behavior