Cocaine. Crack & 4. c : coke : charlie : rocks : freebase WHAT & WHY?

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1 WHAT & WHY? Crack & 4 Cocaine c : coke : charlie : rocks : freebase No. 4 in a series of guides to help people understand what drugs are and why people take them SECOND EDITION

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3 What? Cocaine and crack cocaine are the same drug in different forms. The drug is manufactured from the leaves of both the Erythroxylum coca and Erythroxylum novagranatense plants.

4 The multi-stage chemical process to achieve a 90% pure, white cocaine hydrochloride powder is usually carried out near the source of production and includes the use of, among other things, sulphuric acid, petrol, potassium permanganate, ammonia and kerosene. Cocaine hydrochloride powder is snorted up the nose (usually through a tube or rolled-up bank note) or dissolved in water and injected. It is sometimes injected with heroin a combination known as a speedball. Smoking cocaine hydrochloride powder is inefficient and results in the loss of most of the psychoactive effect. The drug is made smokeable by chemically converting it into the solid freebase form known as crack cocaine. The process of converting cocaine hydrochloride into crack uses readily available chemicals, including baking powder and ammonia. The name crack came about because, when smoked, the salt remaining in the mixture sometimes crackles as it burns. Crack cocaine is also known as rocks and freebase. Crack cocaine is usually smoked through a pipe which can either be specially made or improvised out of a drinks can. It can also be rolled into a joint with cannabis or tobacco. Smoking is also an extremely efficient way of delivering the drug to the brain quickly.

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7 As crack cocaine does not easily dissolve in water, to inject it users must add an acid (such as citric or ascorbic acid [ vitamin C ] powder) to turn it back into the soluble form. As with all stimulants, repeated or heavy use can lead to paranoia and agitation which may develop into a serious mental health problem. The powerful local anaesthetic effect, and the frequency with which people sometimes inject, means that injecting cocaine often results in considerable vein damage. The risk of HIV and hepatitis C transmission is higher among cocaine and crack injectors than amongst heroin injectors because they often inject many more times a day, reusing and sharing syringes more frequently than opiate injectors, and they also inject with increased confidence and impaired risk assessment due to the effects of the drug. Although there have been dire warnings from the USA, cocaine has not yet caused the massive problems experienced there. However, problems related to heavy crack cocaine use are becoming more frequent.

8 Why? Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant and local anaesthetic. Users usually experience a powerful physical and psychological rush of exhilaration, excitement, alertness, strength and confidence within about three minutes of snorting cocaine, which lasts for between 15 and 40 minutes.

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11 Injecting cocaine, or smoking crack cocaine, brings on the effects more quickly, in a more intense way, but the effects wear off more quickly too. As with all drugs, the way that this is experienced varies from person to person some first-time users experience a panicky, nauseating half-hour. Cocaine is an accepted part of life for many diverse groups in society. The reasons why different people use it vary, and are probably best understood on an individual basis, weighing up the relative importance of factors to do with the person their psychological make-up, history, mood, emotional state, self-esteem etc; the drug the physical and psychological effects the person expects, or gets, from the drug (see above); and society the ease with which the drug can be bought, the number of people using it, the attitudes of the person s peer group to the drug etc. One downside of cocaine use is the feeling of exhaustion and depression that many get afterwards especially after a period of taking it on consecutive days. The problem of dependence can arise when cocaine is used to counteract these (or other) feelings, creating a cycle of use, depression and more use. Unlike heroin, cocaine is not a drug that lends itself to everyday use. This is partly due to the expense of the drug (binges often cost well in excess of 200 a day) and partly because even 5 10 days of continued use usually create an uncomfortable sense of being on edge and paranoid. Only a minority of cocaine users those with access to lots of money and the drug (usually people dealing in large quantities) use daily for prolonged periods. This group are more likely to be using crack cocaine, and often suffer from severe depression when they stop.

12 The usual pattern of use for people who are cocaine dependent is to go through repeated cycles of bingeing, running out of money and/or getting paranoid, stopping for a while and then bingeing again.

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14 01 Smoking crack cocaine through a home-made Coke can pipe Photo: David Hoffman Photo Library 02 The cocaine plant growing in Chile Photo: Carlos Reyes/Andes Press Agency 03 Cocaine being manufactured in South America Photo: Carlos Reyes/Andes Press Agency 04 Preparing to heat crack cocaine which has been mixed with citric acid (to help it dissolve) and water, ready for injection Photo: David Hoffman Photo Library 05 Chopping a line of cocaine with a razor blade to make the particles as small as possible Photo: Jamie Baker/Demon Imaging 06 A rock of crack cocaine Photo: David Hoffman Photo Library 07 Lines of cocaine on a mirror, chopped and ready to be snorted Photo: Jamie Baker/Demon Imaging

15 WHAT & WHY? weed : dope : bud : skunk : hash : oil No. 1 in a series of guides to help people understand what drugs are and why people take them SECOND EDITION WHAT & WHY? speed : whizz : base : amphet : sulphate No. 2 in a series of guides to help people understand what drugs are and why people take them SECOND EDITION WHAT & WHY? mdma : E : pills No. 3 in a series of guides to help people understand what drugs are and why people take them SECOND EDITION WHAT & WHY? c : coke : charlie : rocks : freebase No. 4 in a series of guides to help people understand what drugs are and why people take them SECOND EDITION WHAT & WHY? smack : brown : skag : diamorphine : H what drugs are and why people take them SECOND EDITION WHAT & WHY? meth : physeptone : juice No. 6 in a series of guides to help people understand what drugs are and why people take them SECOND EDITION No. 7 in a series of guides to help people understand what drugs are and why people take them SECOND EDITION Written by Andrew Preston What & Why? 4: Crack & Cocaine. Second edition. Published by Exchange Supplies. ISBN Exchange Supplies. Designed by fluke. Printed in the UK on recycled paper made from 100% chlorine-free post-consumer waste. Responsibility for all errors, omissions and opinions lies with the author. Exchange Supplies is an independent social enterprise producing information and resources to reduce drug-related harm. For more information go to: The What & Why? series covers cannabis, amphetamine, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, methadone and harm reduction. All titles in the series are available direct from: Exchange Supplies, tel: Additional information on LSD, mushrooms, addiction and motivation are available on our website: Exchange Supplies, 1 Great Western Industrial Centre, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1RD. Tel: Fax: info@exchangesupplies.org Cannabis 1 Amphetamine 2 Ecstasy 3 Cocaine Crack & 4 Heroin No. 5 in a series of guides to help people understand Heroin Methadone 6

16 What & Why? is a series of booklets for anyone who wants to understand illicit drug use. Illustrated with stunning photography, What & Why? explains what drugs are (how they are made, sold and used), their effects and why people choose to take them. Essential reading for anyone confronted with illicit drug use at home or at work. What & Why? is written mainly for professionals, parents and the relatives and friends of drug users. The booklets may also provide a useful contribution to secondary school discussion about drugs.