Cocaine and crack (Stimulant)
Street Name:
Cocaine: coke, charlie, snow
Crack: rocks
What it looks like and how it's taken:
Cocaine is a white powder that is snorted or dissolved and injected.
Crack, a stronger version, comes as rocks or stones and is smoked or injected.
Immediate effects:
Cocaine acts fast and lasts about 30 minutes. Users feel confident, strong and alert, and may be left craving more. Crack acts faster. More intense effects last about 10 minutes.
Risks:
Short term: Some users may feel tense and anxious while using and afterwards many feel very tired and depressed. It can also cause convulsions, chest pain and sudden death from heart attack or stroke. Sniffing can damage the inside of the nose. Smoking crack can cause breathing problems and lung damage.
Long term: Frequent use can lead to paranoia, hallucinations, aggression and weight loss. Cocaine and especially crack cocaine are highly addictive. Chronic use also causes severe damage to the heart and circulation, brain damage and severe mental health problems.
Legal status: Class A
