Cocaine
Also known as crack, coke, dust, C, snow, flake, blow, rock, candy, or lady. Appears as chunky white crystallized powder or rock crystals – may be disguised as salt. Accompanying paraphernalia includes aluminum foil, plastic baggies, paper packets, small vials, razor blades, straws, rolled up paper money, mirrors
Distinguishing marks of a user include:
- Scars from scratching at imaginary bugs crawling under the skin
- runny nose due to snorting
- bleeding from the nose due to snorting
Effects
- May cause death due to heart failure
- May inflict: convulsions, breathing problems, paranoia, violence
Cocaine is a Schedule II controlled substance that has high potential for abuse, but may be prescribed by a physician for limited medical purposes.
What cocaine does to your body:
- Brain—affects the nerve cells that control body movement, awareness, judgment, motivation and pleasure. Cocaine blocks the normal flow of dopamine to the brain, causing it to function abnormally.
- Heart— Constricts blood vessels, increases heart rate and increases blood pressure, which may result in death from cardiac arrest.
- Liver— When cocaine and alcohol are combined, the liver manufactures a third substance, cocaethylene, which intensifies cocaine's euphoric effects and possibly increases the risk of sudden death.
- Lungs—Prolonged cocaine snorting may result in ulceration of the mucous membrane of the nose and can damage the nasal septum enough that it collapses. It causes severe chest pains with lung trauma and bleeding, and smoking cocaine may also cause lesions in lungs and respiratory paralysis