What is cocaine?
Cocaine is a white powder that comes from the dried leaves of the coca plant. It is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant that is usually snorted, injected or smoked.
What are the street names for cocaine?
Coke, Snow, Flake, Blow, Coca, Crack, Soda Cot, Bump, Stash, Toot, Nose candy, Basa, Smack and Line
What are the health effects of cocaine?
When cocaine is injected or smoked, it affects the brain within seconds causing rapid onset of powerful and energetic feelings. When cocaine is snorted, the effects take longer as the drug builds in the brain slower. Tolerance to cocaine develops quickly causing users to take more and more, which quickly leads to dependency. The effects on the body include:
- Increased blood pressure
- Dilated pupils
- Nose bleeds (snorting)
- Increased body temperature
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Increased heart rate
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain
- Heart attack
- Paranoia
- Agitation
- Respiratory failure
- Convulsions
- Seizures
- Stroke
What are the withdrawal symptoms of cocaine?
Cocaine is highly addictive and has several withdrawal symptoms including:
- Agitation
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Unpleasant dreams
- Strong appetite
- Suicide
What are other health effects cocaine has on your health?
- Snorting cocaine can permanently damage nasal tissue, causing nasal bleeding, loss of smell, and holes between the nostrils.
- Weight loss and malnutrition.
- Cocaine users typically binge on the drug until they are exhausted or they run out of cocaine.
- No matter how it is ingested, cocaine can kill with just one use.
- For those who inject cocaine, HIV, hepatitis B and C and other diseases can occur from sharing or using dirty needles.
What parents need to know?
- Supervise your child's activities, know who their friends are and monitor their surroundings.
- If your teenager has used alcohol or marijuana, they are more likely to try cocaine.
- There are drug tests available to screen for cocaine use.
- Notice changes in behavior.
- Talk to your teen about the dangers of using cocaine.
Resources
Alcohol and Drug Abuse
- Alcoholics Anonymous: 248-332-3521
- Alanon: 248-706-1020
- Narcotics Anonymous: 248-543-7200
