What is the difference in cocaine and crack?
Powder cocaine:
Powder cocaine, often called “coke” is a white powdery substance made up of a combination of coca paste and hydrochloric acid. It is typically abused by snorting, or by dissolving and then injected into the body. Cocaine in powder form is more expensive than crack cocaine.
Cocaine’s effects last up to 60 minutes. When injected, cocaine reaches the brain almost immediately the effects last for up to a half an hour. Because the effect doesn’t last long cocaine users tend to use a lot in order to maintain their “high”. Virtually all of the cocaine that comes into the US is in powder form.
Crack cocaine:
Cocaine is more psychologically addicting than powder cocaine, it is much cheaper and therefore more likely to result in chronic use. Crack cocaine is essentially powder cocaine mixed with water and baking soda. Once dried it’s broken up into rocks (“cracked” that are smoked in a pipe.
Educational video and transcript is used with permission from Hopelinks
The United States is currently the world’s largest consumer of cocaine: 1.9 million users
In 1862, a German chemist Albert Niemann extracted the pure chemical, cocaine hydrochloride, from the coca plant. The powdered substance, hydrochloride salt, can be: snorted, or injected. The freebase substance processed with ammonia or bicarbonate becomes a, crystallized rock, form of cocaine is called “crack”. This form of cocaine is smoked.
Signs of Cocaine and Crack use
There are clear signs of someone under the influence of cocaine: dilated pupils, hyperactivity, irritability, excessive talking, excessive weight loss, and paranoia. Psychological dependency on Cocaine and/or Crack may result in physiological damage, lethargy, psychosis, depression, and even fatal overdose.
Withdrawal symptoms
Some Cocaine and Crack withdrawal symptoms include: unpleasant dreams, insomnia, increased appetite, slow thought patterns, and a reduction of physical movements.
Effects on the body
Smoking crack can increase heart rate and blood pressure, leading to long-term cardiovascular problems. Some research suggests that smoking crack or freebase cocaine has additional health risks compared to other methods of taking cocaine. Prolonged use of either Cocaine or Crack can result in weight loss, itching, hallucinations, depression, excessive sleeping or long periods with no sleep, dehydration, disturbance of heart rhythm, chest pain, heart failure, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures, death.
Crack lung is an acute injury to the lungs due to heavy use of smoked crack-cocaine. Crack-cocaine smoke constricts blood vessels in the lungs and prevents oxygen and blood from circulating. Extreme crack-cocaine abuse results in scarring and permanent damage. Crack lung is typically accompanied by a fever; other symptoms include cough, difficulty breathing and severe chest pain.
Crack & Cocaine Addicts Can Recover
Treatment for a cocaine or crack cocaine addiction can involve a medical detox, but focuses more on the behavioral, spiritual and emotional damage done during the addiction.
Be sure to visit our entire Drug Education Videos series and learn more about drug abuse, drug addiction and alcoholism
References
STREET DRUGS: a drug identification guide 2010
National Institute on Drug Abuse:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-abuse-addiction
The Vaults of Erowid:
http://www.erowid.org/plants/coca/
http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/cocaine/cocaine.shtml
