DEPARTMENTS > COMMUNITY ALLIANCE > DRUG FACTS

Cocaine

What is cocaine?

Cocaine is a potent brain stimulant and one of the most powerfully addictive drugs. Cocaine is produced as a white chunky powder. It is sold most often in aluminum foil, plastic or paper packets, or small vials. Cocaine is usually chopped into a fine powder with a razor blade on a small mirror or some other hard surface, arranged into small rows called "lines," then quickly inhaled (or "snorted") through the nose with a short straw or rolled up paper money. It can also be injected into the blood stream.

How is cocaine used?

There are four primary methods of ingesting cocaine. These are:

  1. "Snorting" - absorbing cocaine through the mucous membranes of the nose.
  2. Injecting - users mix cocaine powder with water and use a syringe to inject the solution intravenously.
  3. Freebasing - Cocaine hydrochloride is converted to a "freebase" which can then be smoked.
  4. Crack Cocaine - Cocaine hydrochloride is mixed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and other ingredients, causing it to solidify into pellets or "rocks". The crack is then smoked in glass pipes.

The symptoms of Cocaine use include but are not limited to:

  • Anxiety
  • Panic
  • Bloody nose
  • Increased energy
  • Talking rapidly
  • Rapid pulse and respiration
  • Paranoia
  • Confusion
  • Dilated pupils
  • Hallucinations
  • Altered motor activities (tremors, hyperactivity)
  • Runny nose

What is Cocaine addiction?

Cocaine addiction can occur very quickly and can be very difficult to break. Researchers have found that cocaine stimulates the brain's reward system inducing an even greater feeling of pleasure than natural functions. In turn, its influence on the reward circuit can lead a user to bypass survival activities and repeat drug use. Chronic cocaine use can lead to a cocaine addiction and in some cases damage the brain and other organs. An addict will continue to use cocaine even when faced with adverse consequences. Dependency can develop in less than 2 weeks. Some research indicates that a psychological dependency may develop after a single dose of high-potency cocaine. As the person develops a tolerance to cocaine, higher and higher doses are needed to produce the same level of euphoria.

What are the symptoms of Cocaine addiction?

The symptoms of Cocaine addiction include but are not limited to:

  • Cardiac problems
  • Neglect of family and job responsibilities
  • Social isolation
  • Neglect of body needs and hygiene
  • Disintegration of the mucous membrane
  • Collapse of the nasal septum
  • Selling of personal property
  • Mood swings
  • Weight loss
  • Change in friends
  • Change in daily schedule (staying out all night)
  • Always having a stuffy, runny nose
  • Constant loss of appetite

What is cocaine withdrawal?

Regular use of cocaine can lead to strong psychological dependence (addiction). Those who abruptly stop their cocaine use can experience cocaine addiction withdrawal symptoms as they readjust to functioning without the drug. The length of cocaine addiction withdrawal varies from person to person and also depends on the amount and frequency of use.

Cocaine addiction withdrawal symptoms include but are not limited to:

  • Agitation
  • Depression
  • Intense craving for the drug
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Anxiety
  • Angry outbursts
  • Lack of motivation
  • Nausea/vomiting
  • Shaking
  • Irritability
  • Muscle pain
  • Disturbed sleep

What are the short term effects of Cocaine?

Cocaine's effects appear almost immediately after a single dose, and disappear within a few minutes or hours. Taken in small amounts (25 to 150 mg), cocaine usually makes the user feel euphoric, energetic, talkative, and mentally alert, especially to the sensations of sight, sound, and touch. It can also temporarily decrease the need for food and sleep. Some users find that the drug helps them to perform simple physical and intellectual tasks more quickly, while others can experience the opposite effect.

The short-term effects of cocaine include but are not limited to:

  • Increased energy
  • Decreased appetite
  • Mental alertness
  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Constricted blood vessels
  • Increased temperature
  • Dilated pupils
  • A feeling of euphoria
  • Excitement
  • A feeling of strength and power

The duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects depends upon the route of administration. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. The high from snorting is relatively slow in onset, and may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes.