Cocaine is a naturally occurring drug. It is extracted from the leaves of the coca bush, a small tree grown in South America, Indonesia and East Africa.
There are 2 forms of cocaine:
Pure cocaine (fine white powder)
Crack (cocaine heated with sodium bicarbonate and water)
Appellations courantes
Apparence
Particularités
Aunt Nora
Bernice
Binge
Blow
C
Charlie
Coke
Dust
Flake
Mojo
Nose candy
Paradise
Sneeze
Sniff
Snow
Toot
White
White powder
Cocaine is inhaled through the nose (snorted), smoked or injected intravenously.
Crack
Small rocks
Crack is heated and inhaled (snorted).
Effects of cocaine
People use cocaine for the following effects:
Euphoria
Power
Freedom from fatigue, hunger and pain
Risks associated with cocaine and possible consequences
Physical and psychological consequences
After the euphoria, the user experiences a period of anxiety that is accompanied by a feeling of discomfort.
Cocaine use can also cause:
Sleep disruption
Strange or violent behaviour and irritability
Panic and anxiety
Impaired judgment
Paranoia and hallucinations
Delirium
Weight loss
Nosebleeds
Diseases or infections associated with consuming by injection or inhalation
Rapid pulse
Hypertension
Toxic substances used to cut cocaine, such as levamisole (a de-wormer), can lead to serious health effects.
Using cocaine repeatedly or in large amounts can have the following effects:
Erectile dysfunction
Restlessness and hyperactivity
Shaking
Fever
Confusion
Delirium
Seizures (stiff body with jerky and involuntary muscle spasms)
Kidney failure
Paranoia
Heart problems (heart attack)
Coma
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
Death
After snorting the first line (or hit), the user may do another to avoid experiencing the anxiety that follows the initial euphoria. However, the more the user consumes, the more anxiety he or she will experience.
Crack produces euphoria in as little as 10 seconds after a single hit. The euphoria lasts 5 to 10 minutes. It is followed by a period of anxiety that is even more unpleasant than the one experienced after cocaine. The user feels the need to take another hit immediately.
Cocaine and crack users can spend large sums of money on drugs daily.
Addiction
Cocaine and crack cause significant psychological dependence. To learn more, read the Addiction section of Problems Associated with Alcohol Consumption and Drug Use.