Cocaine/Crack

Cocaine: Coke, Charlie, C, Snow, Flake, Nose Candy, Hits, Dust, Gold, Coca paste, Crack, Rocks, Wash, Stone, Gravel, Crank

Cocaine is commonly available as a white powder. Crack is 'freebased' cocaine made into small crystals which is then smoked.

Ingestion, injection, sniffing, smoking.

Cocaine is a powerful, yet short acting (30 – 40 minutes) stimulant. It causes a sudden increase in heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. The effects are similar to amphetamines- confidence, appetite loss, euphoria and high energy. Crack produces more intense versions of these effects but they last only a short time.

The come down from both cocaine and crack leads to feelings of tiredness, lethargy, hunger, anxiety, paranoia and depression. Often more of the drug is taken to reduce the effect of these symptoms. Come down effects are worse with higher doses and regular use. Sniffing of the drug can damage the delicate membranes lining the inside of the nose as well as the septum separating both nostrils. Smoking crack can cause chest pain, lung damage and bronchitis. Injecting has its own set of dangers such as sharing injecting equipment, which can spread hepatitis and HIV. A common problem with cocaine is spending too much money on it and getting into debt.

Dependence is psychological to the effects produced. But smoking cocaine (Crack) is highly addictive.

Cocaine is a class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. It is illegal to possess (unless prescribed), supply or produce the drug.