Coke, crack, coca, powder, cola, …
Cocaine is chemically synthesized from the leaves of the South American coca plant. The chewing of coca leaves has been widespread for centuries. The leaves are used as a stimulant, as a nutritional supplement and for ritual and medicinal purposes. The consumption of highly active cocaine is accompanied by significantly higher risks and is not comparable with the chewing of coca leaves.
Main active ingredient
- Cocaine
Legal status
- Illegal: consumption, possession, acquisition, production and dealing are prohibited.
Forms of consumption
- Typically “sniffed” (snorted)
- Smoked (crack/freebase)
- Injected
Onset and duration of effect
“Sniffed” (snorted):
- Onset: after a few minutes
- Duration: approx. 30–90 minutes
Smoked or injected:
- Onset: after a few seconds
- Duration: approx. 5–20 minutes
Effects
- Euphoric high, feeling of energy, stimulating
- Sensation of heightened powers, alertness and vigilance
- Greatly enhanced self-confidence, feeling of invincibility
- Greater appetite for risk, loss of inhibitions and anxieties
- Urge to talk and move
- Suppression of fatigue, hunger and thirst
- Reduction in pain perception
- Sexual stimulation and loss of inhibition
Risks and side effects
- Unease, restlessness, hyperactivity
- Poor concentration
- Increased distrust, irritability, aggressiveness
- Diminished critical faculty and judgement, riskier behaviour (road traffic, sex, …)
- Anxiety and panic attacks, paranoid delusions (“paranoia”)
- Stereotypical movements, nervous twitches, muscle tremors, muscle and jaw cramps
- Nausea, vomiting
- Disorders affecting libido and erectile function
- Faster pulse and increased blood pressure, heart, and circulatory problems
- Heart attack or stroke
Long-term risks
- Addiction
- Motivational and concentration disorders
- Sleep disorders
- Depression
- Long-lasting personality changes such as antisocial and narcissistic behaviour
- Psychosis (loss of reality, paranoid thoughts, delusions, etc.)
- Sexual function disorders
- General physical decline ( weight loss), weakened immune system
- Chronic nose complaints such as inflammations and damage to the nasal mucous membrane and nasal septum
- Liver and kidney damage, nerve damage
- Permanently high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia
Good to know …
- Cocaine is a stimulant (drug with a stimulating effect) and is typically consumed in the form of a white or yellowish, crystalline powder.
- Cocaine is typically a blend of the pure substance and one or more extenders. There may be major variances in purity and the amount of active ingredient. As consumers are ignorant of the exact composition of the cocaine, there may be increased health risks and the danger of an overdose.
- The consumption of cocaine was long associated with the world of finance and the “high society”. Nowadays, cocaine consumption is much more widespread. Cocaine is no longer the drug of the “rich and famous”.
- As cocaine is very active but for a relatively short period, the craving for repeat consumption can be enhanced, which is why cocaine is deemed to be a highly addictive drug.
Beware!
Cocaine causes an absolute emergency for the body.
The body is under permanent stress and all energy reserves are mobilised. Physical warning signals such as thirst, hunger and fatigue go unnoticed. Consumers are therefore inclined to overestimate their own mental and physical powers, leading to the risk of physical and/or psychological collapse.
Smoking and injecting cocaine …
Smoking (crack/freebase) and injecting cocaine causes a very intense intoxication (“flash”). The effect kicks in within seconds but lasts only a few minutes. The effects are therefore significantly shorter-lived but more intense than when “snorting” cocaine. The health risks are also increased (e.g. the risk of addiction, respiratory diseases, transmissible diseases caused by the shared use of needles).
There is no such thing as a risk-free consumption of legal and illegal drugs!
When consuming any legal and / or illegal drug, the subjectively perceived effects depend on various factors (how consumed, dose, age, gender, environment, mood as well as experience and expectation).
Consumption of any drug can result in addiction.
The consumption of legal and illegal drugs is to be discouraged:
- During adolescence (physical and mental development)
- When driving and during other activities requiring a “clear head” (e.g. sport, when operating machinery, …)
- At the workplace / at school
- During pregnancy and breastfeeding
- If there are previous medical conditions
Particular care is also required:
- If the quality of the product is unknown and cannot be checked
- In the event of combined use, e.g. alcohol and other drug
- When medication is taken at the same time
If you notice that a person is not well after having consumed legal or illegal drugs, act responsibly and look after that person. If in doubt, phone the emergency number and administer first aid.