Cocaine and Crack
Slang
Cocaine: Coke, snow, Charlie, C.
Crack: Rock, wash, base, freebase, stone.
Picture 1: Cocaine / Picture 2: Crack
Description
Cocaine is a white powder derived from the coca shrub, with powerful stimulant properties similar to those of amphetamines. Cocaine can be sniffed, injected or smoked. The intended effects last for up to an hour, but more usually, roughly 30 minutes.
Crack is a different form of cocaine and appears as small white crystals or waxy rocks. The immediate effects last from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.
Both have very strong effects on both body and mind. Cocaine increases the heart rate, raises blood pressure and may produce a dry mouth. There may be strong urge to drink or smoke, but the user probably won't want to eat or sleep. Some people feel sick, irritable or aggressive. The higher dose, the more pleasurable the feelings and the greater the risk of negative effects.
See also the National Crack Strategy here or download from www.drugs.gov.uk
Paraphernalia / what to look out for
Cocaine
- Razor blades, rolled up bank notes, straws
- Needles, paper wraps, small pieces of paper, small plastic bags containing white powder.
Crack
- Glass pipes, drink cans with burn marks on them.
- Plastic bottles with holes punched in them.
- Small plastic bags containing rocks of crack.
- Needles, paper wraps, small pieces of paper, small plastic bags containing white powder.
Possible short-term indicators
- Short-lived 'high' (involving feeling good, lively, stronger, more intelligent; and being talkative and active) followed by possible rebound leading to mood swings.
- Cocaine increases the heart rate, raises blood pressure and may produce a dry mouth. There may be strong urge to drink or smoke, but the user probably won't want to eat or sleep. Some people feel sick, irritable or aggressive. The higher dose, the more pleasurable the feelings and the greater the risk of negative effects.
- With Crack the short intense high, is followed by a long low or crash. Many people try to repeat the high to avoid the crash, so they binge on crack until the money runs out. Even people who control their use of drugs, can't seem to control their crack habit and use large amounts, spending money they can't afford.
- What goes up must come down. Cocaine makes the body work faster and use up its resources quicker. When coke wears off, the body comes down. A come down almost always involves feeling exhausted and hungry. They will probably feel anxious or panicky, depressed or even paranoid.
- If a client/service user is using on or near the premises staff may find 'wraps' (Square shaped pieces of paper - usually magazine paper - folded to carry the powder).
- Users may have the smell of alcohol on the breath.
- During a hangover a user may experience headaches, irritability, tiredness, lethargy. Some people will have more intense hangovers than others.
Possible longer-term indicators
- Can lead to paranoid thinking, aggressiveness and psychotic behaviour.
- If sniffed, possible damage to the nasal passages; if smoked, possible respiratory problems; if injected, possible abscesses, swelling or blood clots.
- Smoking crack can cause black phlegm, chest pain, lung damage and bronchitis, with a partial loss of voice.
- Long-term injection produces abscesses and possible health risks due to poor injecting techniques.
- Users can become dehydrated, have digestive disorders or anorexia.
- Long term use: the heart and blood vessels can weaken, increasing chances of a stroke.
- Regular heavy cocaine use is linked to general physical ill health becoming run down, along with mental health problems. Because it stops people feeling hungry, coke can make them vulnerable to malnutrition.
- Frequent injecting increases risk of damage to the tissues, local and systemic infections and DVT.
Harm reduction
There is no completely safe way to take cocaine or crack, but advice can be given on how to use them more safely.
- Avoid taking other stimulants.
- Avoid mixing with alcohol - with cocaine, the unintended negative effects of both alcohol and cocaine are increased.
- Avoid keeping taking cocaine or crack to put off coming down.
- The body has to come down sometime, so the longer it is left the worse it will be.
- It is advisable that users set a limit on the money they can spend on crack - avoid borrowing off friends or buying on credit from dealers.
- Make sure the user gets plenty of rest and food after taking cocaine.
- If you're working with someone who uses crack, explain about health risks: local burns, damage to the lungs, heart and liver.
drinkanddrugnews (5 September 2005) provides this additional list:
- Always advise about sharing any injecting, piping or snorting equipment.
- Advise pipers to switch from using plastic bottles or cans to quality glass pipes, and to avoid inhaling ash, paint, dust, water and other particles to the lungs.
- Encourage the move towards non-injecting routes, such as chasing or piping.
- Get the user to set themselves rules and stick to them, e.g. putting off the first pipe of the day for as long as possible.
- Understand signs of overdose and how to manage it. Call an ambulance early.
- Encourage individuals to bring in their paraphernalia to show you what they do, so you can work together to minimise the harm caused by using crack
Legal status
Class A.