Cocaine

Cocaine can be used by:

• Snorting it as a powder: most people snort cocaine, its crushed down into a fine powder, divided into lines and then snorted.
• Smoking it: crack or freebase cocaine can be smoked using a glass pipe or bottle
• Injecting it: powdered cocaine and crack can also be prepared into a liquid to be injected however this is significantly more dangerous than snorting or smoking
• Can also be rubbed into gums or taken rectally

Highs

• happy, more alert, energetic, more confident, feeling invincible

Lows

• paranoid, aggressive, anxious, irritated, mood swings

Physical symptoms

• fast heartbeat, dry mouth, chest pain, dilated pupils, increase in body temp, nausea

Risks

• Physical dangers: heart attacks, abnormal heart rhythms, stroke, seizures, ulcers, abdominal bleeding and bowel muscle death, perforated septum and dental problems
• Risk of blood-borne viruses like hepatitis C and HIV from needle sharing, smoking if burns or ulcers
• May engage into riskier sexual interactions due to lowered inhibitions leading to blood borne viruses
• Mixing with other drugs can put even greater stress on the heart and other organs, significantly increasing the risk of serious medical problems or worse

The law

• Class A drug, possession can lead to up to 7 years in prison and an unlimited fine
• Intending to supply cocaine, which can include giving it to a friend, can lead to life in prison and an unlimited fine