Cocaine high is brief but addiction quick
Wanda Brister

P a r e n t Awareness- Every month the Jasper P o l i c e Department will be working to keep parents aware of the most current information on safety tips and drug awareness.

This month we focus on cocaine. Cocaine is the most potent stimulant of natural origin. This substance can be snorted, smoked or injected.

When snorted, cocaine powder is inhaled through the nose where it is absorbed into the bloodstream through nasal tissues.

When injected, a needle releases the drug directly into the bloodstream.

Smoking involves inhaling cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs where it is absorbed into the bloodstream just as rapidly as by injection.

Each of these methods poses great risks to the user.

Crack is cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a free base for smoking. Crack cocaine is processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water and then heated to remove the hydrochloride. This produces a form of cocaine

that can be smoked. Extent of Use

According to a national survey, approximately 33.7 million Americans age 12 and older have tried cocaine at least once in their lifetimes.

Health Effects

Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant. Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels and increased temperature, heart rate and blood pressure.

Users may also experience feelings of restlessness, irritability and anxiety.

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. Compulsive cocaine use seems to develop more rapidly when the substance is smoked rather than snorted.

A tolerance to the cocaine high may develop. Many addicts report they fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first cocaine exposure.

Smoking crack delivers large quantities of the drug to the lungs, producing effects comparable to intravenous injection.

These effects are felt almost immediately after smoking, are very intense, but do not last long. For example, the high from smoking cocaine may last from five to 10 minutes. The high from snorting can last 15 to 20 minutes.

Crack cocaine tends to be sold in .1 and .2 gram rocks that range in price up to $40.

Common street terms associated with cocaine:

Blow or nose candy = cocaine

Horn = inhale cocaine

Snowball = cocaine or heroin

Bingers = crack addicts

Oolies = marijuana laced with crack

Tornado = crack

Wicky stick = PCP, marijuana and crack

Officer Wanda Brister is the D.A.R.E officer for Jasper County.