What is the Difference Between Cocaine and Crack?

DrugRehab.org What is the Difference Between Cocaine and Crack_

Where Do Cocaine And Crack Come From?

The coca-bush (erythroxylum coca) is natural stimulant that’s native to South America. Its leaves are believed to have been used in ceremonies by the Incas over 4,000 years ago to speed up their heart rates and better sustain survival in high elevations. Fast forward a few thousand years, and in the 1500s, Peruvians chewed on the leaves for the natural euphoric and numbing effect they produced—this was eventually put to a halt by Spanish conquerors.

DrugRehab.org What is the Difference Between Cocaine and Crack_ Coca-BushSince then the coca plant has grown in popularity among the rest of the world, especially since cocaine was first developed in 1859 by German chemist Albert Niemann. Years later, in the 1880s the coca-bush and cocaine made a name in medicine as an anesthetic, and ingredient in popular soft-drinks like Coca-Cola (Note: it’s no longer used in the beverage).

Nearly 100 years after the first appearance of cocaine, appeared crack. It was an experimental drug at first, that was born out of the 1970s and gained most of its popularity in the 1980s. Though both cocaine and crack are derivatives of the coca-bush, and widely popular in the world of drug abuse, they became popular in very different times of human existence.

What Is Cocaine And How Is It Produced?

Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant that can be snorted, injected into the bloodstream, or it can be freebased. Cocaine is usually a fine white substance and generally comes in powder form. The chemical, cocaine-chloride comes directly from the coca-bush, but when drug dealers get their hands on it they can cut or lace with other non-psychoactive substances such as “cornstarch, talcum powder, flour, or baking soda to increase their profits. They may also adulterate cocaine with other drugs like procaine (a chemically related local anesthetic) or amphetamine” (National Institute on Drug Abuse – NIDA).

What Is Crack And How Is It Produced?

Crack is a smokeable, less expensive, and more profitable version of cocaine. Crack comes further down the line from cocaine, and after it’s mixed with a legal non-euphoric substance like ammonia or baking soda it’s cooked down to remove the hydrochloride and produce a smokeable product—typically in the form of an off-white or yellow looking rock. A crack rock, unlike cocaine powder, is water insoluble. “The term crack… refers to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked” (NIDA).

What Schedule Drugs Are Cocaine And Crack?

Cocaine and crack are labeled as Schedule II drugs by the DEA, because of their “high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. These drugs are also considered dangerous.”

Can You Smoke Cocaine Or Snort Crack?

Cocaine can be mixed with marijuana; a combination referred to in some circles as a one-fifty-oner but by itself, cocaine isn’t normally smoked. Similarly, since crack comes in the form of a rock, it would be unfit to snort up one’s nose. These drugs are dangerous enough on their own as it is, and the preferred methods of use seem to be working—and no matter how a person uses the drug (unless in medicine) it’s illegal.

DrugRehab.org What is the Difference Between Cocaine and Crack_ Difference Between Crack and Cocaine

How Many People Are In Prison For Cocaine Or Crack?

“Over three-quarters of DWI offenders in jail reported using drugs in the past. Among jail inmates held for DWI, marijuana (73%) and cocaine-based drugs including crack (41%) were the most commonly used drugs. Thirty percent of those in jail reported drug use in the month prior to arrest” (Bureau of Justice Statistics). This source will go on to say that in 2002, 11% of U.S. prison inmates were high on cocaine or crack at the time of their arrest—a number that was down from 16% in 1996.

Is Crack More Dangerous Than Cocaine?

Both cocaine and crack are considered dangerous and can be fatal. There were approximately 7,000 cocaine fatalities from 2002 to 20015, and about 60% of those involved an opioid such as heroin (NIDA). Because most of these results were found during an autopsy, it’s inconclusive as to whether the drug being used was crack or cocaine.

Cocaine And Crack Can Be Laced With Other Drugs

Cocaine and crack are regularly laced with other drugs such as meth, marijuana, and opioids. Some people will mix cocaine or crack with heroin which makes for a less intense come-down from the heroin. This mixture of stimulant and depressant is known as a speedball and it can be a fatal combination. What tends to happen when a user mixes an upper with a downer is the drugs cancel each other out—the cocaine reduces the effects of the heroin, so users will continue using heroin to get the high their brain and addiction is seeking.

The serious issue and danger occurs when the cocaine wears off well before the heroin. After that, a user is left with an intense, and often deadly heroin high. Because of the mind blowing euphoria that comes with speedballing; addiction and overdose are much more likely to happen.

Euphoria from Cocaine and Crack

In an interview with ATTN:, clinical pharmacist Jenni Stein described the euphoria produced by cocaine and crack. “A high from snorted cocaine will hit you in about 1-5 minutes, be at its peak within 20-30 minutes, and last 1-2 hours. A high from inhaled or injected cocaine will hit you in less than a minute, be at its peak within 3-5 minutes, and last 30 minutes to an hour.”

DrugRehab.org What is the Difference Between Cocaine and Crack_ Cocaine High

Stein went on to describe crack; “the onset and peak occur much faster with inhaled [if smoked] and injected cocaine, and the user experiences the effects of the drug ‘all at once’—so the user will get higher than if the same amount of cocaine were snorted.”

What Are The Short And Long-Term Effects Of Cocaine And Crack?

As defined by NIDA, “cocaine prevents dopamine from recycling, causing excessive amounts to build up between nerve cells. This flood of dopamine ultimately disrupts normal brain communication and causes cocaine’s high.”

Some of the short-term effects of cocaine are:

  • extreme happiness and energy
  • mental alertness
  • hypersensitivity to sight, sound, and touch
  • irritability
  • paranoia—extreme and unreasonable distrust of others

Some of the long-term effects of cocaine, as described by NIDA, are:

  • constricted blood vessels
  • dilated pupils
  • nausea
  • raised body temperature and blood pressure
  • faster heartbeat
  • tremors and muscle twitches

Cocaine Versus Crack Withdrawals

Both cocaine and crack can have similar withdrawals, however one difference is that because the high from crack is an intensified version to that of cocaine, it’s over faster and adverse symptoms occur sooner. Some of the most common withdrawal symptoms of both crack and cocaine are increased appetite, anxiety, depression, nightmares, insomnia, general discomfort, and restlessness.

Do Crack And Cocaine Have Different Effects On The Health?

No matter how you use it, cocaine is a powerful drug and can lead to serious health risks whether it’s snorted, smoked, or injected. After prolonged use of cocaine or crack, it begin to take a serious toll on a person’s health. From NIDA, few of those risks include:

  • Snorting: loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, frequent runny nose, and problems with swallowing.
  • Consuming by Mouth: severe bowel decay from reduced blood flow.
  • Intravenous Injection: higher risk for contracting HIV, hepatitis C, and other blood-borne diseases. However, even people involved with non-needle cocaine use place themselves at a risk for HIV because cocaine impairs judgment, which can lead to risky sexual behavior with infected partners

How To Treat An Addiction With Rehab

Finding the right kind of treatment can be the best way to live a healthy, happy, drug free life, Contact us today at 1-833-473-4227 to speak to one of our addiction specialist if you or a loved one is struggling with cocaine today.

For more information on intervention and what it entails, call now!

For More Information Related to “What is the Difference Between Cocaine and Crack?” Be Sure To Check Out These Additional Resources From DrugRehab.org:

 


Sources

National Institute on Drug Abuse – Cocaine
National Institute on Drug Abuse – What is Cocaine?

Pulmonary Complications As A Result Of Crack Cocaine Use

 

Pulmonary Complications As A Result Of Crack Cocaine Use

Since it was first developed in the 1970s, crack cocaine has gained popularity for recreational use. This increased use may be due largely to its greater availability. Because crack is a synthetic blend of cocaine, it is often easier to obtain. Also, crack is easy for people to manufacture and to purchase. Unfortunately, it can be highly addictive for persons abusing it and can cause extreme short- and long-term effects from prolonged use, including a variety of serious pulmonary concerns. Your pulmonary system is a system of blood vessels, including veins and arteries, that are responsible for circulating oxygen between the heart and lungs.

Crack Cocaine Defined

Cocaine is typically a white powder. Crack cocaine (or freebase cocaine) lends its name from the crackling sound it makes when smoked. This form has been processed into a crystallized solid. In this state, it can be smoked in a pipe, called a crack pipe. When the rock solid is heated in the pipe, vapors are released which are then inhaled. People suffering from addiction may take several consecutive doses, or “hits” to ensure a continued high.

Pulmonary Complications As A Result Of Crack Cocaine Dopamine Release

As explained by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), cocaine affects a chemical called dopamine which is released in the reward circuit of the brain. Dopamine typically contributes to the reward, or pleasure feelings in the brain. When a person experiences pleasure, dopamine is released then recycled. Crack cocaine does not allow for dopamine to re-enter the brain, but instead forces the continued release of it. This build-up between the nerve cells is what causes the “high” experienced by people who use this drug.

What Are The Effects Of Crack Cocaine?

Smoking crack may be even more dangerous than taking other forms of cocaine because breathing it into the lungs allows an immediate high. Inhaling the vapors ensures the drug will reach the brain without delay. This also means the high will be very intense. Crack holds a bigger risk for addiction than various other substances, as smoking can increase the potential for addiction.

There are numerous adverse effects caused by crack cocaine abuse. To begin, crack may change a person’s mental faculties, producing a sense of extreme happiness or a false sense of mental alertness. Crack may also make a person overly sensitive to sight, sound, and touch. People taking it may become irritable or paranoid. During the high period, however, people using crack may experience mild to moderate physical effects, such as:

  • A sense of restlessness
  • Increased body temperature
  • Increased heartbeat
  • Nausea
  • Pupil dilation
  • Tremors or muscle twitches

Crack may be particularly harmful to the sinuses and can cause nasal perforation, in extreme cases, it may even result in a deviated septum. In addition to the complications with smelling, swallowing, frequent nose bleeds, and the constant runny nose which may occur due to continued use of crack, the lungs and pulmonary system may suffer further damage.

Crack Lung Symptoms

Prolonged crack abuse and addiction may also result in severe lung problems. Repeated inhalations of this drug causes a number of pulmonary conditions, including respiratory problems, which are collectively called crack lung.

Pulmonary Complications As A Result Of Crack Cocaine SymptomsWhen a person smokes crack, their lungs may become irritated and inflamed. Continuing this pattern of use and abuse may cause permanent damage to the lungs. Further, the chemicals taken directly into the lungs can be harmful, some of which are additives or contaminants. Additives are the substances added to crack cocaine, often to increase the drug’s volume and profits, or to aid in changing the chemical composition.

In regards to symptoms, crack lung resembles pneumonia. For example, a person with crack lung may display symptoms very close to those of pneumonia, such as:

  • Chest pain
  • Extreme coughing
  • Fever
  • Trouble breathing/ respiratory issues

Some people may experience such severe damage, that they spit up blood, whether red or black in color. Serious cases may also result in lung failure. In short terms, this means that the person’s lungs would have trouble getting oxygen to their blood. Left untreated, lung damage could cause further complications in the body, including organ damage, or even death.

Other Pulmonary Complications

Smoking crack cocaine can cause a host of other pulmonary concerns, as outlined by research presented by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and Yale University. Again, many of these issues are attributed to the other chemical adulterants, termed associated substances, that may be mixed within the crack cocaine.

In example, crack cocaine users may experience thermal airway injury, or injury to your airways (the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles). The Yale publication attributes this to either the presence of these chemical byproducts, or the combustion of residual ether that is left over from the manufacturing of this drug.

Those users who have a history of asthma have specific concerns, as smoking crack has been shown to aggravate this condition, even to the point of respiratory failure that required hospitalization and ventilation.

The RSNA paper tells us that smoking crack cocaine may cause various forms of pneumonia, including organized and aspiration pneumonia. It may also cause pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary edema, or excess fluid in the lungs. Certain other complications such as pulmonary hemorrhage, may prove fatal. This complication creates massive bleeding which often requires surgical intervention.

In some cases of crack lung, a condition called pulmonary eosinophilia is present, which results from an excess of a certain type of white blood cell called eosinophils that cause an inflammation within a person’s lungs. This condition has been shown to respond favorably to steroid treatments.

Lastly, as reported by the RSNA, smoking crack can impair your immune system, due to the fact it “alters alveolar macrophage function and cytokine production.” In short, this means that certain cells (alveolar macrophages) within your lungs that are responsible for defending your respiratory tract are compromised. Because of this, your body has a reduced ability to inhibit the growth of tumor cells, thus increasing the risk of cancer. Beyond this, your body cannot fully utilize nitric oxide, a naturally occurring antibacterial agent, to kill various bacteria, exposing your body to a greater risk of various infectious diseases, including AIDS.

Research also supports the theory that crack cocaine users are at a higher risk for contracting tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease of the lungs which may prove serious, in the capacity that it can spread to other areas of your body, including your brain, and also become fatal if left untreated. This infection is attributed in large part to a person’s depleted immune system caused by the poor alveolar macrophage functioning that we noted above.

How To Treat Crack Cocaine Addiction

As previously mentioned, crack cocaine is possibly the most addictive form of cocaine. Treating crack abuse or addiction is imperative due to the numerous effects it can have on a person’s health. There are treatment methods available, but medication is not one of them. As NIDA explains, no medications are currently approved for use in treating crack cocaine addiction. Though several medications have been tested in treating crack, like disulfiram, none have been approved by the FDA for manufacture.

Pulmonary Complications As A Result Of Crack Cocaine Medications

Instead, treatment may combine other methods, offered within an inpatient or outpatient program, including, as suggested by NIDA, contingency management and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT works to help persons in recovery to build new lifestyle habits free from addiction. CBT essentially promotes long-term abstinence by fostering a discovery of life without substance abuse.

People in recovery from addiction may also find that joining a support group may be helpful. These groups allow a person the opportunity to share their feelings and thoughts. This support will also help an individual to cope, and grant them accountability—all key components to a full recovery.

How To Break The Chain Of Crack Cocaine Addiction

Hundreds of thousands of people abuse crack cocaine every year in the United States. It’s important to remember that many negative side effects can result from addiction to crack, some as severe as crack lung.

Contact us if you or a loved are considering treatment.If you or someone close to you has tried crack, or if you are currently struggling with crack abuse or addiction, you do not have to suffer in silence. You can find help for recovery. Contact us today at DrugRehab.org to find more ways you can be connected to resources. You can speak to professionals who know how to help and want to listen. We will help create a plan for your recovery that addresses your specific needs.


Sources
Center For Substance Abuse Research — Crack Cocaine