Cocaine & Crack

Cocaine is derived from the leaves of the Erythryoxylon coca plant. The coca plant requires constant warmth and rainfall to thrive and only grow in tropical regions of Africa, Asia, South America and Central America. The main producer being Southern America.

The dried coca leaf is put through a chemical process with an acid solution such as sulphuric acid, to produce raw cocaine or cocaine sulfate. This is a paste which can be smoked with tobacco and is 70% pure.

The paste is put through another process with hydrochloric acid to produce cocaine hydrochloride. This is the standard form of cocaine. It is soluble in water which makes it suitable for snorting or injecting.

This form of cocaine can be refined further in two different ways to produce freebase and crack. Both forms are insoluble in water and are therefore not suitable for injecting or snorting.

Freebase is made by processing the cocaine further with chemicals such as ammonia and ether, which get rid of all the impurities leaving behind the nearly pure freebase. This process is extremely dangerous, which is why freebase is more expensive and less widely available. Freebase is rarely found in the UK.

Crack cocaine is a type of freebase cocaine which is safer to produce. The ‘rock’ that is formed in the processing contains a small amount of water, which makes a crackling sound when heated (hence the name “crack”).

Cocaine is a stimulant drug, which means that it speeds up the brain and nervous system. It was first used as a local anaesthetic in medicine, as well as in tonics for the treatment of various illnesses. It is one of the most powerfully addictive drugs.

It most often appears as a white or off-white powder.  Often this has been cut with caffeine, chalk, laundry powder, meat tenderiser, baby laxatives, talcum powder and even rat poison.

Ways of Using Cocaine

This is the quickest way of taking the drug. The powder is mixed with water and then injected into a vein. The user will experience an exhilarating rush within a few seconds, although this will quickly disappear quicker, usually lasting only 15-20 minutes.

Injecting cocaine user’s are at risk for infection from Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS. They also risk getting abscesses and other injecting related problems.

Smoking

Crack cocaine is smoked using a pipe. As the rock is heated, it melts and burns away to vapour which the user will inhale. They will try to hold their breath for as long as possible, so as to allow the lungs to absorb the maximum amount of cocaine from the smoke.

The cocaine is absorbed immediately into the blood via the lungs, where it reaches the brain in 5 seconds. The rush is much more intense but the effects don’t last as long. The peak of the rush is over almost as soon as the user breathes out the smoke, although the high lasts for around 15 minutes afterwards.

Smoking crack causes problems such as chest pain, lung trauma, shortness of breath, hoarse voice and an aching, flu-like syndrome.

The Effects of Cocaine

Cocaine is a very powerful stimulant. The effects can last from a few minutes to several hours, dependant on how it is taken, the amount taken and the purity.

Soon after taking the user will feel euphoric, energetic, talkative, confident, and mentally alert. They will also feel warm and their heart rate will have increased as well as their blood pressure, and their pupils will dilate (get bigger). They will lose any feelings of being hungry or tired.

Ingesting large amounts of cocaine can intensify the user's high, but can also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behaviour. Users who ingest large amounts may experience tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, and paranoia. Other possible effects of cocaine use include irritability, anxiety, and restlessness.

The initial euphoria is followed by feelings of discomfort and depression along with an intense craving to re-experience the drug. Side effects can include twitching and paranoia, which increase with frequent usage.

Many users often find that they will smoke more when taking the drug. This is because nicotine affects the levels of dopamine in the brain and enhances the euphoria felt.

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. A tolerance is often developed when a user, seeking to achieve the initial pleasure received from first use, increases the dosage to intensify and prolong the euphoric effects.

Cocaine can be detected in urine for 1-3 days after use, although for chronic users it can be detected for up to 2 weeks.

You CAN overdose on cocaine. Overdose causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. This will be followed by seizures and depression of the respiratory and circulatory systems which can lead to death from respiratory failure, stroke, cerebral haemorrhage or heart failure. Overdose can also cause hypothermia, which in turn can destroy cells in the body leading to renal failure. There is no specific antidote for cocaine overdose.

Cocaine abuse creates a lifetime risk of heart attack that is seven times that of a non-user. During the hour after cocaine is taken, the risk for heart attack rises 24 times. Cocaine accounts for 25% of heart attacks in people aged 18-45.

You can die from taking a single line of cocaine. Especially if you have an existing heart condition or your heart has been weakened from regular use of the drug. This is the same for injecting a small amount and taking one hit off a pipe.

Addiction

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. A tolerance is often developed when a user, seeking to achieve the initial pleasure received from first use, increases the dosage to intensify and prolong the euphoric effects.

Whilst the drug is not physically addictive like heroin, users will feel an obsessive and uncontrollable desire to use again. This is because cocaine has a positive effect on the user and makes them feel good. Once the feelings start to disappear the user will want to take more to have that same feeling again

Because the drug is only mentally addictive, medications to treat cocaine addiction are not available, although researchers are working to identify and test new options. Antidepressants are usually prescribed to deal with mood changes that come with cocaine withdrawal. Medical treatments are also being developed to deal with cocaine overdose. Researches are also working on a cocaine vaccine, which would prevent the desirable effects of the drug being felt.

Treatments such as cognitive-behavioural coping skills have been shown to be effective in addressing cocaine addiction but are a short-term approach that focuses on the learning processes. Behavioural treatment attempts to help patients recognize, avoid, and cope with situations in which they are most likely to use cocaine.

Also known as: Big C, Blow, Coke, Flake, Lady, Nose candy, Snow, Snowbirds, White Crack, Freebase, Rock 

USA Federal classification - Schedule II

Great Britain - Class A

If you use cocaine alongside alcohol, please read the "Alcohol + Cocaine" page.

Last updated: 3 April 2007