Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant, creating what has been described as a euphoric sense of happiness and increased energy. It is also a topical anesthetic used in eye, throat, and nose surgery.
A brief history of cocaine
The stimulating qualities of the coca leaf were known to the ancient peoples of Peru and other Pre-Columbian South American societies. In modern Western countries, cocaine has been a feature of the counterculture for well-over a century.
In 1859, an Italian doctor, Paolo Mantegazza returned from Peru, where
he had witnessed first-hand use by the natives. He experimented on himself
and declared coca as being useful in the medical treatment of “a furred
tongue in the morning, flatulence, and whitening of the teeth.”
A “pinch of coca leaves” was included in John Styth Pemberton’s
original 1886 recipe for Coca-Cola, though the company began using decocainised
leaves in 1906 when the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed.
In 1879 cocaine began to be used to treat morphine addiction. Cocaine was introduced into clinical use as a local anaesthetic in Germany in 1884, about the same time as Sigmund Freud started using the drug.
Potential problems with cocaine use
Trauma can be caused by the compounds used in adulteration. Cutting the drug is commonplace, using compounds which simulate ingestion effects, such as novocaine (producing temporary anasthaesia), ephedrine (producing an increased heart rate), or more dangerously, strong toxins to produce vasodilatory (expanding of the blood vessels) effects. For example a nosebleed can be wrongly regarded by heavy users as a sign of purity, The normal adulterants for profit are inactive sugars, (usually mannitol, creatine or glucose), so introducing active adulterants gives the illusion of purity.
Appearance of cocaine
Cocaine in its purest form is a white, pearly product. Cocaine appearing in powder form is a salt, typically cocaine hydrochloride. Black market cocaine is frequently adulterated or “cut” with various powdery fillers to increase its surface area; the substances most commonly used in this process are baking soda; sugars, such as lactose, dextrose, inositol, and mannitol; and local anaesthetics, such as lidocaine or benzocaine, which mimic or add to cocaine’s numbing effect on mucous membranes.
Cocaine may also be “cut” with other stimulants such as methamphetamine. Adulterated cocaine is often a white, off-white or pinkish powder. Novacaine, a dental anesthetic and benzocaine are related to cocaine and can both cause a person to test positive for it even though they are not illegal drugs.
The colour of “crack” cocaine depends upon several factors including the origin of the cocaine used, the method of preparation, and the presence of impurities. It will generally range from white to a yellowish creme to a light brown. Its texture will also depend on the adulterants, origin and processing of the powdered cocaine, and the method of converting the base; but will range from a crumbly texture, to oily, or a hard, almost crystalline nature.
Freebase (or ‘crack’)
As the name implies, “freebase” is the base form of cocaine, as opposed to the salt form of cocaine hydrochloride. Whereas cocaine hydrochloride is extremely soluble in water, cocaine base is insoluble in water and is therefore not suitable for swallowing, snorting or injecting. Cocaine hydrochloride is not well-suited for smoking because the temperature at which it vaporises is very high, and close to the temperature at which it burns; however, cocaine base vaporizes at a low temperature, which makes it suitable for inhalation.
Smoking freebase coke (or ‘crack’)
Smoking freebase is preferred by many users because the cocaine is absorbed immediately into blood via the lungs, where it reaches the brain in about five seconds. The rush is much more intense than sniffing the same amount of cocaine nasally, but the effects do not last as long. The peak of the freebase rush is over almost as soon as the user exhales the vapour, but the high typically lasts five to ten minutes afterward.
What makes freebasing particularly dangerous is that users typically don’t wait that long for their next hit and will continue to smoke freebase until none is left. These effects are similar to those that can be achieved by injecting cocaine hydrochloride, but without the greater risks associated with injecting.
Smoking cocaine can lead to chest pain, breathing difficulties, chronic coughing and lung damage.
Effects of cocaine
Cocaine is a potent central nervous system stimulant. The initial signs of stimulation are increased blood pressure and heart rate, hyperactivity, restlessness, and euphoria. The euphoria is sometimes followed by feelings of discomfort and depression and a craving to experience the drug again. Sexual interest and pleasure can be amplified. Side effects can include twitching, paranoia, and impotence, which usually increases with frequent usage.
With excessive dosage the drug can produce hallucinations, paranoid delusions, increased heart rate, itching, and formication (crawling feeling of the skin). Overdose causes uneven beating of the heart and a marked elevation of blood pressure. These can be life-threatening, especially if the user has existing heart problems.
Dependency and withdrawal from cocaine
The body adapts to cocaine within hours and some users will find they need a higher dose each time as the effects of the previous hit wear off. With regular use, physical dependency forms with withdrawal symtpoms of depression, fatigue, unpleasant dreams, disturbed sleep (too much or not enough), increased appetite, agitation and anxiety.
There is a greater risk of heart attack with chronic use and smoking can lead to chest pain, lung trauma, shortness of breath, sore throat, hoarse voice, shortness of breath, and an aching, flu-like syndrome. There are also links with chronic use of cocaine with the risk of autoimmune, connective tissue and kidney diseases.
Ways of using cocaine
TAKING COCAINE BY MOUTH
This is the safest way to do coke, but by far the least efficient. Users can absorb cocaine through the mucous membrane of the inner cheeks and gums. It can also be swallowed but the drug loses much of its effectiveness in the stomach. While the rate of absorption is slow, the effects last longer.
SNORTING COCAINE
Snorting, or sniffing through the nose, is the next safest method. The effects peak sooner and don’t last as long this way. It can lead to a burning sensation in the nostrils after cocaine’s anaesthetic effects wear off. Cocaine highly constricts blood vessels and prolonged use can lead to nasal tissue being destroyed.
Cocaine powder must be divided into very fine particles. Snorters should be careful to use a clean instrument to snort with, such as a straw or hollowed out pen. Don’t share this with others as blood-borne viruses and infections can result as the nasal linings are quite fragile. Don’t use paper money, it will have all sorts of bacteria on it (and possibly viruses) and can lead to infections.
SMOKING COCAINE
Freebase or crack cocaine is most often accomplished using a glass pipe or a small length of a radio antenna or similar metal tube. Like injecting, smoking leads to intense short-lived effects but it does bypass some of the risks posed by injecting, like infections from bacteria or viruses. The danger of overdose is lowered to some extent, but still risky.
INJECTING COCAINE
Injecting cocaine provides the highest blood levels of drug in the shortest amount of time. Upon injection, cocaine reaches the brain in a matter of seconds, and the exhilarating rush that follows can be so intense that it induces some users to vomit uncontrollably. The euphoria passes quickly. Make sure you use a 0.2 wheel filter to get rid of bacteria and fillers.
One effect of cocaine is a restricting of your veins. They get harder to
find, so rotate your sites and take care if you are on a binge. An injected
mixture of cocaine and heroin is a dangerous combination, as the converse
effects of the drugs actually complement each other, but may also mask the
symptoms of an overdose.
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