Cocaine
Slang
Coke, C, Charlie, Snow, Crack, Rock, Freebase, Nose candy, Dust, Toot, White lady
How it is taken
Snorted
Injected
Smoked
Swallowed
Common effects
- initial physiological arousal and feelings of well being
- increased body temperature, heart rate
- dilated pupils
- sexual arousal
- poor concentration and judgement
- feelings of great physical strength and confidence
- unpredictable and violent behaviour
What it is
Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant. It provides increased energy and a euphoric sense of wellbeing.
Cocaine commonly comes in the form of a white odourless powder called cocaine hydrochloride (HCI). This is the pure form of cocaine that has a pearl-colouredappearance and a bitter numbing taste. The powder is extracted from the leaves of the coca bush found. Various chemicals are used to develop the different types of cocaine.
Historically, cocaine was used as a painkiller in dentistry and for surgical operations on eyes and throats.
There are several forms of cocaine, each with differing modes of administration:
- Freebase – Freebase is the base form of cocaine as opposed to the salt. It is derived from cocaine hydrochloride which has been chemically treated with ammonia or baking soda. It then forms shards of rock like crystals that are not dissolvable in water, so freebase cannot be injected or sniffed. It is smoked from pipes, or mixed with tobacco or cannabis and the rush is almost instant. The initial high lasts no longer than 5-10 minutes and a craving for a second hit occurs soon after.
- Crack cocaine – Crack is a less pure variety of freebase. The cocaine hydrochloride is mixed with baking soda and water, and then heated to form crystals like rocks. Crack cocaine is smoked. Crack cocaine was initially developed for a poorer market and some people still refer to it today as 'poor man’s cocaine'. Crack cocaine’s impurity is indicated by its colour which will generally range from a yellowish crème to light brown. Pure cocaine (HCI) will be a pearly white colour.
- Cocaine hydrochloride - Cocaine hydrochloride is a salt and a more pure form of cocaine, though it can sometimes be mixed with other substances, some of which are poisonous. It comes in a powdered form which is snorted. The powder that is not absorbed through the nasal membranes collect in mucus and drips down the back of the throat. For many this is an unpleasant sensation. Regular and heavy snorting use can damage the tissue on the inside of the nose.
Cocaine can be swallowed (eaten) or injected, although these methods are more rarely used.
Short term effects
Cocaine’s effects can last from 20 minutes to several hours depending on the dosage, method of administration and purity. Common initial signs are an intense sense of euphoria, hyperactivity, restlessness and increased blood pressure and heart rate.
The initial rush commonly wears off fast and is usually followed by feelings of discomfort, depression and a craving to experience the drug again. Side effects from these feelings include twitching, paranoia and impotence which usually increases with frequent use.
The immediate craving to use more cocaine is strong, because euphoric effects often subside within an hour of the last dosage. When administration stops after binge use, it is usually followed by a ‘crash’, or the onset of a state of restlessness and anxiety, with escalating exhaustion until sleep is achieved.
Cocaine causes heat loss and cocaine induced hyperthermia has been known to occur. This may cause muscle cell destruction and can ultimately result in renal failure.
Cocaine is generally detectable in urine for two to three days after use, although long time habitual users may have traces of cocaine in their system for longer.
Long-term effects
Long-term use has multiple physical and psychological health consequences. It is associated with a lifetime risk of heart attack that is seven times that of non-users.
With excessive use and dosage the drug can produce:
- hallucinations and paranoid delusions,
- erratic heartbeat, itching, and psychosis.
- paranoia, nausea and vomiting
- loss of concentration and coordination
- loss of interest in sex,
- loss of ambition and motivation
Tolerance develops after excessive use over long periods leading the user to require larger doses to achieve desired effects and heightening the risk of developing negative health consequences.
Smoking cocaine long-term can result in chest pains, lung trauma, shortness of breath, sore throat, and aching flu like symptoms.
Snorting as a mode of administration degrades the cartilage separating the nostrils which can cause it eventually to disappear.
Long-term injection use can result in blood vessels becoming blocked by substances mixed with cocaine, collapsed veins, tetanus, abscesses, and damage to the lungs, heart, liver and brain. Nose bleeds can also occur with excessive use.
Dependence, addiction, and overdose risk
The high from cocaine can be intensely rewarding but the experience is very short lived. The euphoria initially experienced produces an intense craving which can develop quickly into an addiction. Addiction rates are high for smoking and much higher for injecting.
Many dependent users develop a transient manic like condition similar to amphetamine psychosis and schizophrenia. Symptoms of this include aggression, severe paranoia, tactile hallucinations as well as feelings of insects crawling under the skin.
Because cocaine is a highly addictive substance with shorted lived effects, users sometimes go on binge sessions resulting in overdose. Overdoses can lead to rapid heartbeat, raised blood pressure, heart attack, seizures, kidney failure, stroke and repeated convulsions. Death may result. There is no specific antidote for cocaine overdose.
Withdrawal symptoms occur when a dependent user decides to stop use or significantly cuts down the amount they are using. Cocaine withdrawal commonly occurs in three phases:
- agitation
- depression
- intense craving for the drug
- fatigue.
2. Withdrawal: depending on individual history of use, this can last up to ten weeks. Symptoms include:
- depression
- lack of motivation
- anxiety, shaking
- intense craving foe the drug
- angry outbursts
- nausea and vomiting
- muscle pain.
- sleep disturbances
3. Extinction: Even after withdrawal symptoms have ceased, sporadic cravings for cocaine may surface months or years after the user has ceased using cocaine.
The New Zealand context
The cocaine market in New Zealand is not big and has rarely been the focus of media attention or the cause of a significant number of hospital admissions in recent years. The cocaine market has remained stable with high prices and low availability. There is little evidence to suggest that this trend will change.
Statistics
Recent surveys indicate that:
- the median cost of cocaine in 2005 was $300 per gram
- 75 percent of participants said that cocaine’s street price has been stable in the past six months
- 36 percent of participants indicated that availability of cocaine had become ‘more difficult’ in the past six months.
- between 1996 and1998 there were 23 cases of cocaine admissions to publicly funded hospitals
- in 1998 only 4.4 percent of survey participants had ever tried cocaine and 1.1 percent had tried cocaine in the past year.
- in 1998 0.8 percent of survey participants had tried crack cocaine and 0.2 percent had tried crack cocaine in the past year.
- in 2001 3.2 percent of participants had tried cocaine and 0.6 percent had tried cocaine in the past year. Only 0.3 percent were current users.
The law and penalties
Cocaine is illegal in New Zealand and is classified as a Class A drug scheduled under the Misuse of Drugs Act. This means it attracts the highest penalties possible for manufacture, sale and use.
Manufacturing, importing, supply or dealing cocaine can attract a maximum sentence of life in jail. Conspiracy to commit an offence or to manufacture, import or supply can attract up to 14 years imprisonment. Possession of cocaine can attract up to 6 months imprisonment and/or a $1000 fine.
Safe use
Because cocaine is a highly addictive drug, and the initial effects of euphoria wear off quickly, it is important that users do not feed their cravings by repeating cocaine use (bingeing) to achieve the desired effect. It is very common for cocaine bingeing to lead to addiction. Possessing excessive amounts of cocaine at one time can help feed bingeing behaviour.
Injecting users should always use clean needles and return used needles to a needle exchange service. This will help prevent blood-borne diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis.
Studies show that shared straws (used for sniffing) can cause the spread of blood borne diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis as a result of residual of blood and mucus left on the straw.
How to get help
There are a number of treatment organisations that can help. If you feel that you or anyone you know needs help, then you can call these services in strict confidence.
If you are faced with an emergency, call 111 immediately.
To talk to someone about your or someone else’s drug use, call the Alcohol Drug Helpline - 0800 787 797
You can also get contact details for your local alcohol and other drug counsellor or treatment provider by calling the helpline or by visiting www.addictionshelp.org.nz .
Links
www.shore.ac.nz/publications/publications_8.html A report from Shore Drug Use in New Zealand National Surveys Comparison 1998 & 2001. Copies can be requested from this link.
www.erowid.org/chemicals/cocaine/cocaine.shtml . The cocaine resource page hosted by erowid, a website offering chemical, health, media and user-experience information.
www.druginfo.adf.org.au/article.asp?ContentID=cocaine_info . Australian Drug info clearinghouse.
www.cocaine.org/process.html The big bang: What is crack cocaine?
