What is Crack Cocaine and it's Effects?

Crack Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug. The powdered hydrochloride salt form of Cocaine can be snorted or dissolved in water and then injected.

Crack is the street name given to the form of Cocaine that has been processed to make a rock crystal, which, when heated, produces vapors that are smoked. The term “crack” refers to the crackling sound produced by the rock as it is heated.

Three routes of administration are commonly used for cocaine: snorting, injecting, and smoking. Snorting is the process of inhaling Cocaine powder through the nose, where it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Injecting is the use of a needle to insert the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling Cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs, where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid as it is by injection. All three methods of Cocaine abuse can lead to addiction and other severe health problems, including increasing the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.

Overview:

Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that comes from the South American coca bush.

Appearance:

A White crystalline powder

Street Cocaine is a mixture of:
Pure Cocaine and other substances such as:Talc, Flour, Laxatives, Sugar, Local Anesthetics and other stimulants.

Street Names:

Coke, Dust, Toot, Line, Nose Candy, Snow, Sneeze, Powder, White Pony, Flake, The Lady, Cain, Rock, and Crack.

Routes of Administration

• Snorted through the nose

• Razor blades are used to crush large rocks and form “lines”

• Inject into muscle or vein

• Smoke it – “Freebase” – street cocaine converted to a pure base

• Cocoa paste is made by using gasoline to extract a smoke-able paste, dried and smoked in a pipe or rolled into a cigarette.

Short - Term Effects

Snorting
Effects begin within minutes, peaking in 15-20 minutes and disappearing after a few hours

• Short period of euphoria
• Feelings of increased energy
• Feelings of being more alert
• Feelings of a higher self-esteem
• Feelings of sensory awareness
• Depletes the body’s energy supply
• Reduces the perceived need for food & sleep
• Can cause impulsive behavior
• Can cause mood changes

Long - Term Effects

Smoking freebase

• Confusion
• Anxiety
• Slurred speech
• Psychological problems
• Smoking Crack
• 3-5 minute high followed by an unpleasant crash
• Intense and rapid euphoria known as “flash high”
• Feeling of irritability & agitation
• Intensive craving for more
• The initial high is never reached again - gets lower after each use.

Let Solutions Recovery help you with your Crack Cocaine Addiction!

Our trained and caring counselors and therapists have a variety of treatment modalities available to help you. Individual, family, and group therapy may be helpful in conjunction with medications, coping and management techniques, and other methods. Treatment is tailored for your unique personality and needs.

It’s important to seek help with Crack Cocaine Addiction from the professionals at Solutions Recovery.

Are you suffering from Crack Cocaine Addiction and need help?

Please call Solutions Recovery's 24-Hour Addiction Helpline at 1-800-771-8599 or 702-228-8520 if in the Las Vegas Area.