Crack Cocaine

Crack Cocaine is the crystal form of cocaine that normally comes in the form of powder, solid blocks or crystals whose colors vary from yellow to white to pale rose. It is so named because when the crack is heated it makes a cracking or popping sound and is the most potent form in which cocaine appears which is 75-100 per cent pure and is far stronger and more potent than regular cocaine.

By smoking crack, the drug reaches the brain more quickly and thus brings about an onset of an intense and immediate “high” which is, however, short lived, lasting about 15 minutes even though smoking crack (as compared to snorting) can more rapidly increase the chances of addiction despite being the first time a user has tried trying crack. While cocaine is considered as the “rich man’s drug”, crack is available at such low prices that even teens can afford to buy it even though the expense surges rapidly in direct ration of the increasing amount needed to support the habit.

Crack Cocaine is one of the most powerful illegal drugs to produce intense psychological dependence as it stimulates key pleasure centers within the brain and results in incredibly heightened euphoria. Compulsive use if crack develops soon after the person starts using as it enters the blood stream rapidly and leads to speedy development of tolerance levels even as the addict fails achieve the same level of high experienced from the same amount of usage of crack cocaine.

Crack cocaine users experience the worst cases of “downers” or withdrawal symptoms which include intense depression, edginess, inability to eat or sleep properly, increased heart rate, muscle spasms, convulsions, psychosis and paranoia while also increasing the chances of strokes, seizures, heart attacks and respiratory failures which can lead to sudden death. Crack pipes in which it is smoked are usually short as its smoke does not remain potent for long but often causes the phenomenon of “crack lips”, cracked or blistered lips due to the hot pipe being pressed against the lips.