Works cited

•http://www.drugsline.org/outreach_effects.php

•http://www.drugwarfacts.org/crack.htm

•http://www.treatment-centers.net/drug-addiction-and-society.html

•http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/cocainecrack

•http://www.casapalmera.com/articles/differences-between-cocaine-and-crack/

•“Buzzed” pages 210, 217

•http://www.emedicinehealth.com/cocaine_abuse/article_em.htm

• "NIDA InfoFacts: Cocaine" National Institute on Drug Abuse <http://drugabuse.gov/infofacts/cocaine.html>

•"Cocaine" (video) NHS Choices <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG26e0cTulU>

Criminal penalties

•Crack cocaine is the only drug for which the first offense of simple possession can trigger a federal mandatory minimum sentence. Possession of 5 grams of crack will trigger a 5 year mandatory minimum sentence.

•In federal court today, low-level crack dealers and first-time offenders sentenced for trafficking of crack cocaine receive an average sentence of 10 years and six months.

Effects on society

•Staggering expenses effecting the society and families

•Rising number of addiction cases and decreasing average age of addicts

•According to NIDA, an economic impact on society of about $67 billion per year (crimes and incarceration,  drug addiction treatment, medical costs from overdoses and drug-related injuries)

•One of the fastest ways to spread HIV due to sharing needles and other drug paraphernalia and through just the effect of the drug on a person’s judgment

–According to NIDA, drug abuse is now the single largest factor in the spread of HIV in the U.S.

How addictive?

•Crack is considered a more dangerous and addictive substance than cocaine.

•Currently, cocaine is the most abused major stimulant in America.

•When tested in a laboratory, animals worked more persistently for cocaine than any other drug. This is similar for human responses toward cocaine.

The High

•Depending on the method of use, the time before it takes effect and the length of its effects differ.

•The effects will peak within 30 minutes and last 1-3 hours if snorted.

•Effects peak in 30 minutes while lasting about 3 hours if being swallowed with alcohol.
•The effects peak in seconds to 2 minutes but last only 15-30 minutes if smoked, inhaled, or injected.
•Liver and blood enzymes degrade about half of a cocaine dose in about an hour and cocaine use can still be detected for 24-72 hours. Although, it can be detected for up to 2 weeks for chronic users.

Street names

–Coke

–Blow

–Candy

–Crack

–Jack

–Jimmy

–Rock

–Nose candy

–Whitecoat

How is it ingested?

•Snorting: Cocaine powder is inhaled through the nose and absorbed by the nasal tissues.

•Injection: Cocaine can be injected directly into the bloodstream with the use of a needle.

•Smoking: Crack cocaine is smoked.  The vapors are inhaled through the nose. 

•All three methods of ingestion are dangerous, leading to addiction and other severe health problems.

How is it made?

•Cocaine is a chemical compound that can be extracted from the Coca plant, indigenous to South America. 

•Natives having been consuming cocaine by chewing the plant’s leaves for centuries. 

•In 1860, scientists discovered how to isolate the compound from the leaves. 

•Cocaine can be converted to crack through a simple procedure that can be carried out at home by anyone.

What are crack and cocaine?

•Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant.

•By itself, it is a white powder.  Crack is a rock-crystal form of cocaine.