What It Is: A powerfully addictive drug, usually in the form of a white powder that comes from the cocoa plant. Slang/street names include coke, sugar, snow, skiing, or crack. Crack is a term used when cocaine is smoked in “free-base” form, which is a process of heating the drug to concentrate the drug’s potency.
Type of Drug: Central Nervous System Stimulant
Method of Use: Snorted, injected, or smoked
What It Does: Causes an immediate and intense, short-term “high” or euphoric (a feeling of extreme happiness) effect. It also raises energy levels and diminishes appetite.
Health Risks: Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Some users feel restless, irritable, and anxious. In some instances, sudden death can occur even on first use. High doses of cocaine and/or prolonged use can trigger paranoia (a mental disorder characterized by delusions causing a person to feel like someone is out to get them or talking about them). When addicted individuals stop using cocaine, they often become depressed. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest (heart attack) or seizures followed by respiratory arrest (stopping breathing).
Legal Status: Illegal in the United States.
The forward and backward buttons will take you to the next
or previous alphabetical drug information page
