JUST THE FACTS
WHAT
IS
COCAINE?
AN EDUCATIONAL FACT SHEET FROM
THE FLORIDA ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE ASSOCIATION
Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that comes from the South American coca bush. The cocaine (cocaine hydrochloride) most commonly used in the U.S. is a white
crystalline powder extracted from coca leaves.
The cocaine bought on the street is a mixture of
pure cocaine and other substances such as talc,
flour, laxatives, sugar, local anesthetics and other
stimulants or powders that are added to stretch
the supply and increase the seller’s profit.
Users buy powdered cocaine in grams (1/
28 of an ounce) or in fractions of a gram called
“quarters” or “eighths.” Often, cocaine is snorted
through the nose. Razor blades are used to crush
any large rocks or particles of cocaine and to
form “lines” that make snorting easier. Some
users inject cocaine into a muscle or vein; others
convert it into a smokable form called freebase.
Freebase is street cocaine that is converted
to a pure base by removing the hydrochloride
salt and many of the “cutting” agents. The end
product, freebase, is not water soluble — the
only way to get it into the system is to smoke it.
WHAT IS CRACK?
Crack is a light brown or beige pellet of
ready-to-smoke freebase cocaine. It is formed
when powdered cocaine is melted in a glass tube
with water. When the liquid cools, it is mixed
with baking soda and cold water and cut into
small pieces, which then harden. Since it enters
the system directly through the lungs, smokable
cocaine reaches the brain faster than when cocaine is snorted, and causes a more intense reaction.
According to the 1997 National Household
Survey on Drug Abuse, an estimated 1.5 million
Americans were current users of cocaine. This
represents 0.7 percent of the population age 12
and older. The number did not change significantly from 1996 (1.75 million). The present level
of cocaine users is down from a peak of 5.7 million (3.0 percent of the population) in 1985.
Household Survey data do not present the complete picture, as many subpopulations of hard
core addicts continue in their frequency of abuse,
although the number of occasional cocaine abusers has declined dramatically.
OTHER WAYS OF USING COCAINE
The most dangerous form of smokable cocaine
is coca paste made by using gasoline or sulfuric acid
to extract a smokable paste. The paste is dried and
smoked in a pipe or crushed into a cigarette.
Cocaine may be used with other drugs to produce a variety of effects. “Speedballing” is the combination of cocaine and heroin in a syringe for injection. “Spaceballing” is the sprinkling of liquid
PCP (Phencyclidine) on crack cocaine before smoking. “Champagne” is the combination of cocaine and
marijuana.
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
When cocaine is snorted, the effects begin
within a few minutes, peak in 15 to 20 minutes and
disappear after a few hours. Low doses produce a
short period of euphoria and feelings of increased
energy, alertness, self-esteem and sensory awareness. While artificially depleting the body’s energy
supply, cocaine reduces the perceived need for food
and sleep and can cause impulsive behavior and
mood changes.
Smoking freebase produces a two- to fiveminute intense high. Because larger amounts get to
the brain quickly, smoking also increases the risks
of using the drug. Risks include confusion, anxiety,
slurred speech and psychological problems.
Smoking crack produces an intense and rapid
euphoria commonly known as a flash high. Cocaine
molecules reach the brain in less than 10 seconds.
The resulting three- to five-minute high is followed
by an unpleasant crash. The user feels irritable and
agitated, and has an intense craving for more cocaine caused by the high concentration of the drug
in the bloodstream. The initial high is never reached
again, and subsequent lows get lower. This cycle
reinforces the craving.
Injecting cocaine produces an effect within 30
seconds that peaks in five minutes and lasts about a
half hour. Users who inject run the risk of contracting hepatitis, AIDS, and other infections due to the
sharing or use of contaminated needles.
LONG-TERM EFFECTS
Cocaine and crack constrict the heart’s blood
vessels, making it work harder and faster. In some
users, this may trigger chest pain or a heart attack. Cocaine
can interfere with the signals controlling the heart’s pumping action, causing it to beat so irregularly it may stop. Cocaine, in all forms, has been associated with sudden heart attacks in people under 30, some of whom were using the drug
for the first time.
Cocaine and crack can cause brain seizure, a disturbance
in the brain’s electrical signals, some of which regulate the
heart and muscles controlling breathing. Studies show that
over time, the brain appears to become more and more sensitive to cocaine. As a result, the threshold at which seizures
occur is lowered. Repeated use of the drug without experiencing problems does not guarantee that seizures will not
occur. The next dose — used in the same amount and the same
way — can produce a seizure that may cause the heart to quit
beating or the muscles that control breathing to stop working. Some users have suffered strokes after using cocaine.
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Other effects of cocaine and crack use include:
Suicidal tendencies
Dramatic mood swings
Chronic nose bleeds, runny nose or sore throat
Loss of friends and former values
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Miscarriage/birth defects
Weight loss, resulting from a loss of appetite
Chronic headaches
Respiratory ailments
Addiction
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Death
ADDICTION, TOLERANCE AND
WITHDRAWAL
The obsessive drug-seeking behavior of cocaine and
crack users is due to the drug’s overwhelming influence on
the “reward center” in the brain, which is associated with an
individual’s drive for food, water and sex.
Cocaine use triggers the release of dopamine, a chemical that transmits feelings of pleasure and well-being, in the
brain. The brain requires more and more dopamine to be released to satisfy its needs, which in turn requires greater
amounts of cocaine to be used. An individual becomes more
tolerant of the effects and has to use greater amounts to
achieve the same high. Repeated compulsive use of cocaine
may lead to highs that produce no pleasurable feelings.
Violent, erratic or paranoid behavior, called “cocaine
psychosis” can accompany use of these drugs, but may appear more rapidly in crack smokers. Affected users become
anxious, believe they have superhuman powers, or become
suspicious and paranoid, to the point that they believe the
are in danger and react in bizarre or violent ways. Hallucinations are also common. Users may hear or see things that do
not exist, or experience “coke bugs” — a sensation of imaginary insects crawling over the skin.
A cocaine high is often followed by a crash lasting 30 to
60 minutes or longer and leaving the user feeling tired and
irritable. Cocaine use provides relief from these symptoms,
creating the cycle of use. Generally, the higher a person gets
on cocaine, the worse the effects of the crash. Whether or not
an individual experiences a crash depends on the individual
and the amount of cocaine used. Withdrawal following prolonged use of cocaine can cause irritability, nausea, agitation,
sleep disorders, severe depression, muscle aches and an intense craving for the drug.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF COCAINE USE
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Dilated pupils
Dry mouth and nose, bad breath, frequent lip licking
Excessive activity — difficulty in sitting still
Talkative but conversation lacks continuity
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Runny nose, cold or chronic sinus/nasal problems
Sudden drop in grades or work performance
Frequently in trouble or accident prone
Use or possession of paraphernalia
TREATMENT AND RECOVERY
The long-lasting craving for cocaine makes addiction
hard to treat without assistance. The first step in treatment is
detoxification, to rid the body of the drug. Detoxification is
sometimes followed by medication, such as antidepressants,
to control the craving and treat the depression that occurs
after cocaine or crack is withdrawn. A treatment program can
help the recovering user find other alternatives to curb the
craving. Often this help is offered through a combination of
individual, group and family counseling in addition to other
techniques aimed at changing behavior.
The key to successful treatment is restructuring the
addict’s daily life. The cocaine-addicted client has several internal and external “triggers” that, if not avoided, can rekindle
the hunger for cocaine. Internal triggers include boredom,
stress and the need for rewards. External triggers include
having extra money, familiar music, paraphernalia, and past
relationships — anything that reminds one of life with cocaine.
The goal of recovery programs is to improve self-image and promote healthy living without drugs. Many recovering individuals find strength and support from attending
Cocaine Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings. To
achieve recovery, the cocaine abuser must begin anew and
develop a lifestyle of healthy attitudes and activities.
Funds for this document are provided by the Substance
Abuse Program Office, Florida Department of Children
& Families, contract #MH650
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL THE FLORIDA ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE ASSOCIATION RESOURCE CENTER
1030 EAST LAFAYETTE STREET, SUITE 100, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32301 TEL: (850) 878-2196
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