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Crack is chemically altered cocaine and found as small,
hard, white chunks. Crack is a stimulant to the central
nervous system and is deadlier than other forms of cocaine.
Crack is extremely addictive. Anyone using crack can
become an addict in two to three weeks, and in some cases,
people who try crack become instantly addicted the first
time they use the drug.
Crack reaches the brain in less than 8 seconds and
produces a "high" which peaks in 10-15 seconds and lasts
only 15 minutes. This "high" is produced because crack
tricks the brain into releasing chemicals that produce a
false feeling of intense pleasure.
This "high" is immediately followed by an intense "low".
WHAT ARE IT'S SHORT TERM
EFFECTS?
Short-term effects of cocaine include constricted
peripheral blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased
temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, insomnia, loss of
appetite, feelings of restlessness, irritability, and
anxiety. Duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects,
which include energy, reduced fatigue, and mental clarity,
depends on how it is used. The faster the absorption, the
more intense the high. However, the faster the absorption,
the shorter the high lasts. The high from snorting may last
15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10
minutes. Cocaine's effects are short lived, and once the
drug leaves the brain, the user experiences a "coke crash"
that includes depression, irritability, and fatigue.
WHAT ARE IT'S LONG TERM EFFECTS?
High doses of cocaine and/or prolonged use can trigger
paranoia. Smoking crack cocaine can produce a particularly
aggressive paranoid behavior in users. When addicted
individuals stop using cocaine, they often become depressed.
Prolonged cocaine snorting can result in ulceration of the
mucous membrane of the nose.
PHYSICAL EFFECTS
- chronic sore throat
- hoarseness
- shortness of breath
- bronchitis
- lung cancer
- emphysema and other lung damage
- respiratory problems such as congestion of the
lungs, wheezing, and
- spitting up black phlegm
- burning of the lips, tongue, and throat
- slowed digestion
- weight loss
- high incidence of dependence
- blood vessel constriction
- increased blood pressure
- increased heart rate
- brain seizures that can result in suffocation
- dilated pupils
- sweating
- rise in blood sugar levels and body temperature
- disability from drug-induced health problems
- suppressed desire for food, sex, friends, family,
and social contacts
- heart attack
- stroke
- death
EMOTIONAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
- sadness and depression
- loss of interest in appearance
- loss of household valuables or unexplained vanishing
cash due to the
- expense of the drug
- sleeplessness
- extreme paranoia
- intense craving of the drug
- schizophrenic-like psychosis with delusions and
hallucinations
CRACK ADDICTION
There are four stages which have been identified with
crack addiction:
- intense feeling of stimulation
- followed by feelings of sadness and depression
- irritability, sleeplessness and paranoia
- schizophrenic-like psychosis with delusions and
hallucinations
Because crack is so addictive, withdrawal symptoms may
occur when aperson is not using the drug.
WITHDRAWAL
- nausea
- paranoia
- intense craving of the drug
- physical problems
Although a person addicted to crack may experience
withdrawal symptoms for a short time, the benefits to a
person who stops using the drug greatly outweigh an
addiction to crack.
These benefits include improved health and greater
enjoyment of everyday activities.
CRACK AND PREGNANCY
- increased incidence of still births
- increased incidence of miscarriages
- premature (often fatal) labor and delivery
- in males, the cocaine in crack may attach to the
sperm causing damage to the cells of the fetus.
- babies exposed to cocaine experience painful and
life threatening withdrawal, are irritable, have poor
ability to regulate their own body temperature and blood
sugar and are at increased risk of having seizures.
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