Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that comes from the South American coca bush
White crystalline powder
Street cocaine is a mixture of:
Pure cocaine & other substances such as:
Talc, Flour, Laxatives, Sugar, Local anesthetics and other stimulants
These are added in order to stretch the seller’s profit
Street Names
Coke, Dust, Toot, Line, Nose Candy, Snow, Sneeze, Powder, White Pony, Flake, The Lady, Cain, Rock, and Crack, we are sure you have of heard others.
Who Uses Cocaine?
Individuals of all ages starting at the age of 12
Well employed, highly functional individual
High-school students
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
Coca paste – made by using gasoline to extract a smoke-able paste – dried and smoked in a pipe or rolled into a cigarette
“Speedballing” – combination of cocaine and heroin in a syringe for injection
“Spaceballing” – the sprinkling of liquid PCP on crack cocaine before smoking
“Champagne” – combination of cocaine and marijuana
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
Smoking freebase
2-5 minute intense high
Smoking increases the risk of using the drug
Risks include:
Confusion
Anxiety
Slurred speech
Psychological problems
Injecting Cocaine
Effect within 30 seconds, peaks in 5 minutes and lasts about 30 minutes
Users run the risk of contracting:
Hepatitis
AIDS
Other infections due to sharing or use of contaminated needles
Long - Term Effects
Constrict the heart’s blood vessels
Chest pain
Sudden Heart attacks
Irregular heart beat
Stroke
Brain seizures
Disturbance in the brain’s electrical signals
More and more sensitivity to cocaine
Suicidal tendencies
Dramatic mood swings
Chronic nose bleeds, runny nose and sore throat
Loss of friends and former values
Miscarriage
Birth defects
Weight loss
Chronic headaches
Respiratory ailments
Addiction
Death
Signs & Symptoms of Cocaine Use
Dilated pupils
Dry mouth and nose
Bad breath
Frequent lip licking
Excessive activity
Difficulty in sitting still
Talkative but conversation tends to not make sense
Runny nose
Cold or chronic sinus / nasal problems
Sudden drop in grades or work performance
Frequently in trouble
Accident prone
Use or possession of tools used to smoke, snort or inject drug
Two Stories(The Change Of Face)
Roseanne Holland
Roseanne was 29 when the first shot was taken and 37 at the time of the last photo. This horrific deterioration happened in only 8 years. Roseanne was from Florida and the images were provided by the Florida state police. Roseanne's photos are custody photos taken when she was arrested for drug related crimes over the 8 year time span.
Before
After
Melissa Collara
Melissa's story is particularly sad owing to her young age. She was 18 when the first photo was taken and only 21 by the time the second photo was taken. During this period of time she was arrested 17 times for prostitution to pay for her crack addiction.
Her image and story were supplied by the St Petersburg Police (Florida).
Before
After
References:
Florida Alcohol & Drug Abuse Association Resource Center, “Just the Facts, What is Cocaine?” (October 1998)
