COCAINE is a powerful, stimulant drug drawn from the leaves of the South American coca bush. Cocaine is sold as a fine white powder that can be sniffed or injected. Its street names include coke, C, snow, nose candy, flake, blow.

Crack is cocaine that has been processed with baking soda and water into a form that can be smoked. Crake is also known as rock, apple jacks, glow, cloud and dip.

Cocaine triggers the release of dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure in the brain.

short term effects...

A cocaine high can last anywhere from a few minutes to two hours. Effects include an increased heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate, dilation of pupils, a decreased appetite and a reduced need for sleep. In large doses, the immediate effects can be severe agitation, anxiety, erratic and violent behaviour, twitching, hallucinations, blurred vision, headaches, chest pains, rapid shallow breathing, muscle spasms, nausea and fever.
Overdose can cause seizures, strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, coma and death. Cocaine use is linked with suicides, murder and fatal accidents. When users “crash,” they feel depressed, anxious and irritable. Many users take repeated doses to maintain the high and avoid the crash.

long term effects...

Chronic users of cocaine may experience paranoia, mood swings, restlessness, hallucinations, weight loss, eating disorders, sleep disorders, constipation and impotence. Chronic snorting causes stuffed, runny, chapped or bleeding noses, and holes in the wall separating the nostrils. Those who inject cocaine risk infections including hepatitis and HIV. Freebase and crack smokers report severe throat and lung irritations. They may cough up black phlegm or blood.
Long term effects of cocaine use produce disorders similar to those found in people with Parkinson’s Disease, even after cessation of use.

Cocaine use by pregnant women increases the risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and congenital malformations. The baby may have a small head or blocked blood vessels in the brain.

Cocaine and crack are highly addictive. Withdrawal symptoms include strong hunger, depression, anxiety, irritability and strong cravings to use again.

When cocaine is taken with alcohol, the two drugs merge in the bloodstream to produce cocaethylene, an addictive substance that is much more harmful to the brain than either cocaine or alcohol on their own.

Cocaine can be detected in urine for up to approximately four days following use (depending upon the amount consumed, strength of the drug, route of administration, frequency of prior use and metabolic rate of the individual).