Facts:

Ø      Cocaine and crack are very dangerous because even small amounts of the drug are very addictive and potentially deadly.

Ø      Cocaine is snorted through the nose or injected into the veins

Ø      Crack or rock is cocaine, which is chemically changed to so it can be smoked and inhaled into the lungs.

Ø      Crack smoking provides a much quicker and more intense “high” than sniffing or “snorting” cocaine into the nostrils.  It is also easy to make and easy to use.

Ø      Two things about crack make it especially dangerous:

1)      Because crack is smoked, large amounts of the drug can reach the brain extremely quickly.  This sudden rush of cocaine puts the brain, heart, blood vessels and other organs at serious risk of damage.

2)      Because smoking delivers cocaine to the brain very quickly, crack gives the user almost immediate, intense euphoria.  However, its effects wear off more quickly than when the drug is sniffed.   The user then becomes anxious, irritable and deeply depressed.  The person then takes another dose to relieve the depression.  This sets up a craving cycle.  Dependence can occur within a few days of regular use, especially if high doses are smoked frequently.  Once a person becomes addicted to using crack, quitting can be very difficult.

Short Term Effects:

·        the person’s appetite decreases

·        the person has more energy and does not tire easily

·        the person becomes more alert

·        breathing will speed up

·        heart rate and blood pressure will increase and the person will be at risk of burst blood vessels or heart failure     

·        pupils enlarge

·        cocaine acts as a powerful local anesthetic

·        small amounts can cause death

Larger Doses:

·        sometimes the person will act bizarrely and may be violent

·        sometimes there is the sensation of something crawling under the skin

·        there is a risk of heart attack, stroke and death

Long Term Effects:

·        the person will become strongly dependent on the drug

·        if the cocaine is sniffed, the nose tissues become damaged

·        the person becomes undernourished

·        the person gets infections more easily

·        the person engages in illegal activities to obtain the substance

·        the person becomes incarcerated or dies from high risk behaviors or major organ failure