Facts About…
Cocaine and Crack Cocaine
Type |
What
is it called? |
What
does it look like? |
How
is it used? |
Cocaine |
Coke,
Snow, Nose Candy, Flake, Blow, Big C, Lady, White, and Snowbirds |
White
crystalline powder |
Inhaled,
injected |
Crack
cocaine |
Crack,
rock, freebase |
White
to tan pellets or crystalline rocks that look like soap |
Smoked |
Cocaine is a white powder that comes from the leaves of the South American coca
plant. Cocaine is also referred to by the slang names: Coke, C, Snow, Blow, Toot, Nose
Candy, flake, The Lady Coke, Dust, Sneeze, Powder, Lines, and Rock (Crack). Cocaine may be
snorted through the nasal passages as a powder, converted to a liquid form for injection
with a needle, or processed into a crystal form to be smoked.
Cocaine belongs to a
class of drugs known as stimulants, which causes a short-lived high that is immediately
followed by opposite, intense feelings of depression, edginess, and a craving for more of
the drug. Crack is a smokable form of cocaine that has been chemically altered. Cocaine
and crack are highly addictive. This addiction can erode physical and mental health and
can become so strong that these drugs dominate all aspects of an addict’s life.
People who use cocaine
often don't eat or sleep regularly. They can experience increased heart rate, muscle
spasms, and convulsions. If they snort cocaine, they can also permanently damage their
nasal tissue. Using cocaine can make you feel paranoid, angry, hostile, and anxious, even
when you're not high. Cocaine interferes with the way your brain processes chemicals that
create feelings of pleasure, so you need more and more of the drug just to feel normal.
People who become addicted to cocaine start to lose interest in other areas of their life,
like school, friends, and sports. Cocaine use can cause heart attacks, seizures, strokes,
and respiratory failure. People who share needles can also contract hepatitis, HIV/AIDS,
or other diseases.
Pathfinder’s
Checklist
How cocaine affects you.
1.) Cocaine affects
your brain.
2.) Cocaine affects your body.
3.) Cocaine affects your emotions.
4.) Cocaine is addictive.
5.) Cocaine can kill you.
Pathfinder’s
Checklist
Physical risks associated with using any amount of cocaine and crack.
1.) Increases in blood
pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and body temperature
2.) Heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory failure
3.) Hepatitis or AIDS through shared needles
4.) Brain seizures: Even first-time users may experience seizures or heart attacks, which
can be fatal.
5.) Reduction of the body's ability to resist and combat infection
6.) Even first time users may experience seizures or heart attacks, which can be fatal.
7.) Cocaine and crack use has been a contributing factor in a number of drownings, car
crashes, falls, burns, and suicides.
8.) Increases in blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and body temperature
9.) Heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory failure
10.) Hepatitis or AIDS through shared needles
11.) Brain seizures
12.) Reduction of the body’s ability to resist and combat infection
13.) Inability to perform sexually
Pathfinder’s
Checklist
Psychological risks associated with using any amount of cocaine and crack.
1.) Violent, erratic,
or paranoid behavior
2.) Hallucinations and coke bugs—a sensation of imaginary insects crawling
over the skin
3.) Confusion, anxiety and depression, loss of interest in food or sex
4.) Cocaine psychosis—losing touch with reality, loss of interest in friends,
family, sports, hobbies, and other activities
5.) Some users spend hundred or thousands of dollars on cocaine and crack each week and
will do anything to support their habit. Many turn to drug selling, prostitution, or
other crimes.
6.) Addicts often become unable to function sexually.
Pathfinder’s Checklist
What you should know about cocaine.
1.) Know the law.
Cocaine-in any form-is illegal.
2.) Stay informed. Even first-time cocaine users can have seizures or fatal heart
attacks.
3.) Know the risks. Combining cocaine with other drugs or alcohol is extremely
dangerous. The effects of one drug can magnify the effects of another, and mixing
substances can be deadly.
4.) Be aware. Cocaine is expensive. Regular users can spend hundreds and even
thousands of dollars on cocaine each week and some will do anything to support their
addiction.
5.) Stay in control. Cocaine impairs your judgment which may lead to unwise
decisions around sexual activity. This can increase your risk for HIV/AIDS and other
diseases, as well as rape and unplanned pregnancy.
6.) Look around you. The vast majority of teens aren't using cocaine. According to
one study, less than 1 percent of teens are regular cocaine users. In fact, 98 percent of
teens have never even tried cocaine.
How can you tell if a
friend is using cocaine? Sometimes it's tough to tell. But there are signs you can look
for. If your friend has one or more of the following warning signs, he or she may be using
cocaine or other illicit drugs:
Pathfinder’s
Checklist
Possible signs that a friend or loved is consuming cocaine.
1.) Red, bloodshot
eyes
2.) A runny nose or frequently sniffing
3.) A change in eating or sleeping patterns
4.) A change in groups of friends
5.) A change in school grades or behavior
6.) Acting withdrawn, depressed, tired, or careless about personal appearance
7.) Losing interest in school, family, or activities he or she used to enjoy
8.) Frequently needing money
Pathfinder’s
Checklist
Quick facts about cocaine.
1.) Know the
law—Cocaine and crack are illegal substances. Depending on where you are caught,
you could face high fines and jail time.
2.) Get the facts right—Even one hit of crack or cocaine can be fatal.
3.) Stay informed—Injecting cocaine can give you hepatitis and AIDS.
4.) Be aware of the risks—Using drugs increases the risk of injury. Car
crashes, falls, burns, drowning, and suicide are all linked to drug use.
5.) Keep your edge—Drug use can ruin your looks, make you depressed, and
contribute to slipping grades.
6.) Play it safe—One incident of drug use could lead to addiction or even
death.
7.) Do the smart thing—Using drugs puts your health, education, family ties,
and social life at risk.
8.) Get with the program—Doing drugs isn’t in anymore.
9.) Face your problems—Using drugs won’t help you escape your problems,
it will only create more.
10.) Be a real friend—If you know someone with a drinking problem, be part of
the solution. Urge your friend to get help.
Frequently Asked
Questions About Cocaine
Q. Is cocaine
really still a problem?
A. Yes. While the number of cocaine users has decreased from what was witnessed in
the mid-1980's, there have been nearly 2 million cocaine users every year since 1992.
Q. Isn't crack
less addictive than cocaine because it doesn't stay in your body very long?
A. No. Both cocaine and crack are powerfully addictive. The length of time it stays
in your body doesn't change that.
Q. Don't some people
use cocaine to feel good?
A. Any positive feelings are fleeting and are usually followed by some very bad
feelings, like paranoia and intense cravings. Cocaine may give users a temporary illusion
of power and energy, but it often leaves them unable to function emotionally, physically,
and sexually.
G.B.U.
Steve
Recover from
chemical dependency as well as its toxic impact on family members. Raise your
children to choose to be alcohol and other drugs
free. Learn how
to in Dr. Frisch’s, Psy.D. Recovery book series—From Insanity to Serenity.
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