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ARE YOU IN THE "KNOW" ABOUT COCAINE & CRACK?

KNOW THE SLANG
Coke, Big C, Flake, Lady, Nose candy, Snowbirds Dust, Toot, Snow, Blow, Sneeze, Powder, Lines, Rock (Crack), White Crack: Freebase

KNOW WHAT IT IS
Cocaine is a drug extracted from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a potent brain stimulant and one of the most powerfully addictive drugs.

KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Cocaine is distributed on the street in two main forms: cocaine hydrochloride is a white crystalline powder and "crack" is cocaine hydrochloride that has been processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water into a freebase cocaine - chips, chunks, or rocks.

KNOW HOW IT IS USED
Cocaine can be snorted or dissolved in water and injected. Crack can be smoked.

KNOW THE FACTS
Cocaine affects your brain. The word "cocaine" refers to the drug in both a powder (cocaine) and crystal (crack) form. It is made from the coca plant and causes a short-lived high that is immediately followed by opposite, intense feelings of depression, edginess, and a craving for more of the drug. Cocaine may be snorted as a powder, converted to a liquid form for injection with a needle, or processed into a crystal form to be smoked.

Cocaine affects your body. People who use cocaine often don't eat or sleep regularly. They can experience increased heart rate, muscle spasms, and convulsions. If they snort cocaine, they can also permanently damage their nasal tissue.

Cocaine affects your emotions. Using cocaine can make you feel paranoid, angry, hostile, and anxious, even when you're not high.

Cocaine is addictive. Cocaine interferes with the way your brain processes chemicals that create feelings of pleasure, so you need more and more of the drug just to feel normal. People who become addicted to cocaine start to lose interest in other areas of their life, like school, friends, and sports.

Cocaine can kill you. Cocaine use can cause heart attacks, seizures, strokes, and respiratory failure. People who share needles can also contract hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, or other diseases.

KNOW THE RISKS
Know the law. Cocaine--in any form--is illegal.

Stay informed. Even first-time cocaine users can have seizures or fatal heart attacks.

Know the risks. Combining cocaine with other drugs or alcohol is extremely dangerous. The effects of one drug can magnify the effects of another, and mixing substances can be deadly.

Be aware. Cocaine is expensive. Regular users can spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars on cocaine each week and some will do anything to support their addiction.

Stay in control. Cocaine impairs your judgment which may lead to unwise decisions around sexual activity. This can increase your risk for HIV/AIDS and other diseases, as well as rape and unplanned pregnancy.

Look around you. The vast majority of teens aren't using cocaine. According to a 1998 study, less than 1 percent of teens are regular cocaine users. In fact, 98 percent of teens have never even tried cocaine.

KNOW THE SIGNS
How can you tell if a friend is using cocaine? Sometimes it's tough to tell. But there are signs you can look for. If your friend has one or more of the following warning signs, he or she may be using cocaine or other illicit drugs:

Red, bloodshot eyes
A runny nose or frequently sniffing
A change in eating or sleeping patterns
A change in groups of friends
A change in school grades or behavior
Acting withdrawn, depressed, tired, or careless about personal appearance
Losing interest in school, family, or activities he or she used to enjoy
Frequently needing money

What can you do to help someone who is using cocaine? Be a real friend. Save a life. Encourage your friend to stop or seek professional help. For information and referrals, call the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 800-729-6686.

DID YOU KNOW?
Q. Is cocaine really still a problem?
A. Yes. While the number of cocaine users has decreased from what was witnessed in the mid-1980's, there have been nearly 2 million cocaine users every year since 1992.

Q. Isn't crack less addictive than cocaine because it doesn't stay in your body very long?
A. No. Both cocaine and crack are powerfully addictive. The length of time it stays in your body doesn't change that.

Q. Don't some people use cocaine to feel good?
A. Any positive feelings are fleeting and are usually followed by some very bad feelings, like paranoia and intense cravings. Cocaine may give users a temporary illusion of power and energy, but it often leaves them unable to function emotionally, physically, and sexually.

KNOW ITS SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
Short-term effects of cocaine include constricted peripheral blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, insomnia, loss of appetite, feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. Duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects, which include energy, reduced fatigue, and mental clarity, depends on how it is used. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. However, the faster the absorption, the shorter the high lasts. The high from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes. Cocaine's effects are short lived, and once the drug leaves the brain, the user experiences a "coke crash" that includes depression, irritability, and fatigue.

KNOW ITS LONG-TERM EFFECTS
High doses of cocaine and/or prolonged use can trigger paranoia. Smoking crack cocaine can produce a particularly aggressive paranoid behavior in users. When addicted individuals stop using cocaine, they often become depressed. Prolonged cocaine snorting can result in ulceration of the mucous membrane of the nose.

KNOW ITS FEDERAL CLASSIFICATION
Cocaine is a Schedule II drug.

INFORMATION
To learn more about cocaine or obtain referrals to programs in your community, contact:

Governor’s Commission for a Drug-Free Indiana,
a division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute
www.in.gov/cji
or
SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
800-729-6686
TDD 800-487-4889
linea gratis en español 877-767-8432
Web site: http://www.health.org/

Curious about the TV ads of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign? Check out the Web site or visit the Office of National Drug Control Policy Web site.

The bottom line: If you know someone who has a problem with cocaine/crack cocaine, urge him or her to get help. If you use it--stop! The longer you ignore the real facts, the more chances you take with your health and well-being.

It's never too late. Talk to your parents, a doctor, a counselor, a teacher, or another adult you trust.

Do it today!

• OPO Database

More Online Services »

1. Find out more about Indiana Point of Youth.
2. Inquire about the Governor's Council on Impaired & Dangerous Driving.
3. Know about the youth services that CJI has to offer.
4. Read about the new meth law.
5. Find out more about drug recovery.
6. Contact CJI and its divisions.
7. Find out about the Governor's Commission for a Drug Free Indiana.