COCAINE
Facts About The Drug
What It Is
Names: Cocaine, rock cocaine, coke, "C", flake, snow, stardust, Peruvian marching powder, The devil's dandruff.
Type: Central nervous system stimulant.
Forms: Leaf of coca bush (ritual form) White crystalline powder as cocaine hydrochloride. Vapor as cocaine freebase. Dried lump of combined baking soda or ammonia and cocaine processed as freebase "crack" or "rock." Solution diluted in water.
Combinations: With heroin, "dynamite," "speedball," or "whiz-bang." With morphine, also "whizbang." Dissolved in liquid and drunk.
Usage: Chewed (leaves) Smoked (paste and freebase lumps). Sniffed or "snorted" into mucous membranes of nose (powder and vapor). Applied to mucous membranes of mouth, vagina, rectum (powder). Injected into bloodstream (in a water solution).
Legal Status: Illegal unless used by licensed physician as a local anesthetic. Also used in Brompton's cocktail to treat terminal cancer patients.
What It Feels Like
Orgasmic "rush", then energetic, alert, with no need for food or sleep, talkative or peaceful, self-confident, in command, quick, agitated, anxious, unhappy.
What It Does
To Your Mind: Stimulates rapid, intense general euphoria
To Your Body: Slows, then increases heart rate and blood pressure, constricts blood vessels, increases breathing rate, dries mouth, dilates pupils, exaggerates movements.
Special Characteristics: A Cocaine "spree" may lead to a "crash" with severe depression, lethargy, hunger. Freebasing results in severe burn accidents.
How It Can Hurt You
Shaking, muscle twitches, seizures, severe anxiety, compulsive repetition of movements. Paranoia, psychosis, heart related effects, nausea and vomiting. Changes in breathing, increase in body temperature, cold sweat, dramatic mood swings. Hallucinations, sensation of insects crawling under skin and other continuing psychotic effects. Eating and sleeping disorders, impaired sexual performance, destruction of nose tissue, ongoing respiratory problems, needle infections such as endocarditis, hepatitis and AIDS.
Death from overdose and heroine combination, suicide, homicide, fatal accidents while under the influence. Snorting can be fatal.
When To Get Help
- Do you use cocaine regularly?
- Do you freebase of inject cocaine?
- Do you use it in the morning or at regular intervals?
- Do you lie about how much cocaine you use?
- Are you spending more on cocaine than you can afford?
- Are you having problems at work or school or with family and friends?
- Do you try to "buy" friendship or companionship with cocaine?
One "yes" and your common sense tells you it's time to get smart about drugs and the rest of your life.
Fact:Cocaine may be the most addictive drug of all.
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