Cocaine Addiction Cocaine commonly also has street names like, “coke”, “charlie”, “wash”, “rock” “crack” or “blow” is perhaps the most dangerously addictive drugs in the world. Cocaine is a stimulant that can be found in both powdered and crack form. It is a white powder produced from the coca plant which is found mostly in South America. It is usually placed on a smooth surface such as glass and cut up with a razor blade, forming thin lines or trails which can then be sniffed up through a makeshift straw – commonly called "snorting" which is the most common form of consumption. It is usually absorbed through the lining of the nose. Repeated snorting of the drug can cause damage in the membranes of the nose. The other form of using cocaine is injecting it. ‘Crack’ cocaine is consumed by heating the rock in the pipe and inhaling the smoke. Depending on the method consumed, the “high” varies. The “high” achieved from cocaine use can last only for a short duration of time, which makes the person want to consume more quantity and more often. Like any addict, a cocaine addict also chases the high he (or she) experiences in his first use and since the high doesn’t last for very long he consumes it frequently which also increases his tolerance towards it. Cocaine addiction is caused by the changes in the brain that increase the neurotransmitter dopamine. Cocaine is also consumed by smoking in a pipe. The vapours in the lung hit the brain in about eight seconds, producing a massive high which lasts for around ten minutes, after which it needs repeating. That is why some people can easily get through a large amount of crack in an evening. An estimated 1.9 million people (in USA) use cocaine each month. Research shows that adults between the age of 18-25 report higher rates of cocaine usage along with men abusing the drug more than women.
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