effect of crack cocaine: The Dangers Of A Crack Addiction

Crack cocaine is one of the most addictive substances known to man. It does not take long for an individual to obtain an addiction after first trying crack. Crack can cause many serious health problems for individuals who abuse it. In fact, prolonged use of crack cocaine can result in death. If you know someone who is struggling with a crack addiction, it is imperative that you convince them to go through a crack detox. This process can be very painful, so it is necessary that you only go through a detox with the guidance and supervision of a medical professional. They will be able to ensure the safety of the person going through the detox.

Crack Cocaine

Crack cocaine is simply cocaine that has been mixed and cut with baking soda. It then solidifies so that individuals can smoke it in a pipe. The high users get from crack is incredibly powerful, however, also very fleeting. This is why people become addicted to crack so quickly. All it takes is one hit, and your body will be craving the drug. The term crack came from the sound the drug makes when it is being produced or smoked.

Physical Effects

Crack cocaine alters the brain chemistry of the user. This causes a sense of euphoria, or high. It results in supreme confidence, loss of appetite, heightened alertness, insomnia, rapidly increasing energy, and even potential paranoia. It releases a large amount of dopamine which creates the euphoric feeling. It’s normally a five to ten minute high, which when over, causes dopamine levels to plummet which leaves the user in a depressed state.

Reactions

There are a multitude of different side effects a person experiences when they use crack cocaine, the short terms effects include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased temperature as well as blood pressure and heart rate. In higher doses bizarre behavior accompanies the drug abuse and can even lead to violent behavior. Large amounts can cause tremors, vertigo, twitches, as well as paranoia. Toxic reactions can occur as well that resemble that of amphetamine poisoning. Most deaths associated with crack cocaine use are attributed to cardiac arrest, seizures, and respiratory arrest.

Consequences Of Use

Crack is one of the most addictive forms of cocaine and one of the most addictive substances in the world. After a person uses crack for the first time, they will continue to chase that high until they either end up in jail, die, or go to rehab. There are no other options. There is no such thing as a functioning crack addict. Using crack, even one time, can be a very dangerous decision for a person to make. It does not take much for a person to become addicted to crack cocaine.

Brazil's crack cocaine boom

Filed under: effect of crack cocaine

Brazil is the world's biggest market for crack and the second biggest for overall cocaine use, according to new figures published by the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP). About 3 per cent of Brazil's adult population (almost 6m people) … It …
Read more on Financial Times (blog)

New Mo. traffic law among several taking effect

Filed under: effect of crack cocaine

Another new law takes aim at Missouri's disparity in punishment between people convicted of crack and powder cocaine crimes. The new law reduces Missouri's 75-to-1 disparity ratio in sentencing for the two types of cocaine to a ratio of about 18-to-1.
Read more on San Francisco Chronicle