Crack vs Cocaine

Many of you have probably heard of crack cocaine. Crack cocaine, a form of cocaine base, is derived from powder cocaine. Crack is a slang term for smoke able cocaine. The name crack comes from the cracking and popping sound it makes when it is heated. Crack cocaine is a highly addictive and powerful stimulant that is derived from powdered cocaine using a simple conversion process. The powder cocaine is dissolved in a solution of sodium bicarbonate and water. The solution is boiled and a solid substance separates from the boiling mixture. This solid substance, crack, is removed and allowed to dry. This substance, crack, became enormously popular in the mid-1980s due in part to its almost immediate high and the fact that it is inexpensive to produce and buy. The popularity of the drug is still growing rapidly. There are at least 5,000 to 7,000 new cocaine users in America every year.

Crack is typically available as rocks. Crack rocks are white (or off-white) and vary in size and shape. Smoking crack cocaine delivers large quantities of the drug to the lungs, producing an immediate and intense euphoric effect. Because crack is smoked, the user experiences a high in less than 10 seconds. Usually smoked through a water pipe (sometimes in cigarettes or joints), it produces a rapid, ultra-intense high which lasts for about 2 minutes, followed by a pleasurable buzz which usually lasts around 20 minutes before a long low or crash. Because the hit is so strong, some people get hooked on the sensation and end up blowing all their cash trying to repeat the high, or overdosing.

The effects of Crack are similar to those of Cocaine, although since Crack is smoked, additional risks exist. General effects include constricted blood vessels and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure, restlessness, irritability, anxiety, and with long term use, violence and paranoia are noted. Additional risks of smoking crack include respiratory problems such as shortness of breath, chest pains, lung trauma and bleeding. As with cocaine, crack is highly addictive. Evidence shows that when cocaine and crack are smoked (as opposed to other methods), there is increased risk of compulsive cocaine-seeking behavior, which later may link to crime as addicts seek to fund their habit. High doses can result in psychosis, confusion, irritability, fear, paranoia, hallucinations and aggressive anti social behavior. Because crack is an appetite suppressant, crack can also make users vulnerable to malnutrition. An added danger of cocaine use is when cocaine and alcohol are consumed at the same time. The human liver combines cocaine and alcohol and manufactures a third substance, coca ethylene. This intensifies cocaine's euphoric effects, while also possibly increasing the risk of sudden death.

Common Terms Associated with Crack

Term and Definition
Bingers: Crack addicts
Oolies: Marijuana laced with crack
Geeker: Crack user
Rooster: Crack
Jelly beans: Crack
Tornado: Crack
Moonrock: Crack mixed with heroin
Wicky stick: PCP, marijuana, and crack