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• Alcohol and Other Drug Coalition
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• HERC
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Cocaine

What is it?

Cocaine is a powerful addictive stimulant drug. The powdered form of cocaine is either snorted or injected. Crack is cocaine that comes in a rock crystal that is heated and smoked. The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound produced by the rock as it is heated.

Many cocaine users report that they try to achieve the same experience as they had with their first use. Some users will increase their dose in an attempt to intensify and prolong the effect, but this can also increase the risk of adverse psychological or physiological effects.

Cocaine Street Names

Coke, Snow, Flake, Blow, Nose Candy, Snowball, Tornado, Wicky Stick, Perico, Yayo

Facts

• Cocaine can kill you the first time you use it

• Cocaine and crack cocaine are highly addictive

• Regular cocaine and crack users can become paranoid

• Regularly snorting cocaine can lead to loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, problems with  swallowing,hoarseness, and chronically runny nose

• Mixing alcohol and cocaine is the most common cause of drug-combination related deaths

• Cocaine can cause heart attacks even in young abusers

Side Effects

• Increased body temperature

• Increased heart rate and blood pressure

• Headaches

• Abdominal Pain and nausea

• Decreased Appetite-resulting in malnutrition

• Irritability, restlessness, anxiety and paranoia

• Paranoid psychosis (loss of touch with reality and auditory hallucinations)

• Addiction or Dependence

Short Term Effects

Psychological

The short term physiological effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Cocaine users report feelings of restlessness, irritability, anxiety, panic, paranoia, tremors, vertigo, and muscle twitches.

Cardiovascular:

Disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks. Neurological effects, including strokes, seizures, headaches, and coma. As well as gastrointestinal complications, including abdominal pain and nausea.

Scope of Cocaine

The national Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimates that in 2007 there were 2.1 million current (past-month) cocaine users, of which approximately 610,000 were current crack users. Adults ages 18-25 years have a higher rate of current cocaine use than any other age group, with 1.7 percent of young adults reporting past month cocaine use. Overall, men report higher rates of current cocaine use than women. Ethnic/ Racial differences also occur- with the highest rates in those reporting two or more races (1.1 percent), followed by Hispanics (1.0 percent), Whites (0.9 percent), and African-Americans (0.8 percent).

Sources:

NIDA Info Facts: Crack and Cocaine, 2008, Central East Alcohol and Drugs (CEAD), EIU Counseling Center, Walter DUI and Counseling Services, ABBCON Counseling