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Commonly Known As: Rock, crack, base, freebase, hubba, boulya,
roxanne, roz, devil drug, rocky, Bobo. There are over one hundred slang
terms for crack cocaine as well as numerous names for crack use, users,
and dealers.
Access to Drug: Very accessible on street corners, bus stops,
parties, clubs, raves, malls, schools, and neighborhoods where crack
houses are common. It is an illegal substance and users can be arrested
for use, possession, possession of paraphernalia, sales, transportation,
distribution and a variety of charges related to crack use including
prostitution.
Scientific Name: Crack is cocaine that is processed from Cocaine
hydrochloride into a solidified form that can be split into small pieces,
or “rocks” for smoking purposes. It is easily processed
locally by users or distributors.
Interesting Facts: Crack developed in the early 1980’s
out of the freebase culture when users found the freebasing experience
to be dangerous due to the explosive nature of the ether or alcohol
used to process/smoke the cocaine. Crack quickly grew into epidemic
proportions by the mid-1980’s due to the highly addictive nature
of the drug. To this day, crack is the most damaging of all drugs to
it’s users and the community, not only because of addiction, but
economically, physically, socially, spiritually and psychologically
as well.
Methods of Use: Smoked in pipes, or any other kind of smoking
device, rolled into marijuana joints and/or cigarettes and occasionally
injected when no other form of cocaine is available. Is sometimes dipped
in PCP, mixed with Heroin, LSD and frequently involves alcohol use.
Binge and heavy crack users tend to migrate to areas where crack is
most readily available and smoke non-stop for several days until the
body crashes.
Common Effects When Intoxicated: Increased heart rate, blood
pressure and body temperature. The experience has been described as
a body rush that is so intense with the first use that users spend the
rest of their time chasing the feeling without success due to tolerance.
Physical effects include slurred speech, coughing, tremors, loss of
appetite/anorexia, thirst and attention difficulties. Users can also
experience auditory hallucinations, loss of impulse control, paranoia,
and intense cravings as the drug wears off.
Duration of Intoxication: The effect is almost immediate and
lasts 5 to 20 minutes. As quickly as a crack smoker feels the rush,
the intense experience ends as abruptly, replaced by irritability, intense
cravings, anxiety and dysphoria.
Withdrawal: Extremely difficult due to the intense cravings
for more of the drug. Users will sleep for a day or more as the body
tries to rejuvenate itself. There is irritability, paranoia, depression,
remorse, inability to think clearly, and mood swings. In treatment,
crack addicts will gain weight quickly and may suffer from malnutrition
upon admission.
Effects of Long Term Use: Besides the physical damage, crack
cocaine use tends to lead to greater loss than any other drug. Physically,
long term users will develop crack keratitis, which is abrasions of
the eye from the anesthetic effects of cocaine, “crack”
hands with calluses and burns from lighters/matches. Users also develop
“crack” lung which involves chest pain, breathing problems,
and a fever that resembles pneumonia. Some die from heart attack or
seizures or stroke. Polydrug abuse can develop with the use of heroin,
alcohol and sedative-hypnotics. Weight loss/malnutrition will be extreme
and long term users can develop an irreversible form of psychosis similar
to schizophrenia, due to brain damage.
Abuse, Dependence, and Addiction: Crack cocaine is highly addictive
because of the intense feeling of euphoria with the first hit. It is
not a drug that people can use once and walk away from and usually requires
treatment to stop.
Associated Risks: Crack users will isolate themselves from family
and friends when binging and do anything to chase the high. They will
wipe out bank accounts, trade cars, houses and any property of any worth
to get the drug which is why there is a high rate of crime associated
with crack use. Some resort to prostitution, dealing, or other demoralizing
behaviors to keep their addiction going. In the United States today,
the social ramifications of crack addiction include motherless children,
single parent families, and increased rates of child abuse. There is
a high risk for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C as well as Tuberculosis
from sharing pipes with strangers. Because law enforcement is aware
of crack activity, there is a high risk for legal ramifications.
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