A rough guide to drugs
Legal Status Class A: drugs carry penalties for possession of up to 7years imprisonment and an unlimitedfine. Supply/trafficking can carry penalties of up to life imprisonment and an unlimited fine |
...is a stimulant that comes as a white powder, extracted from the leaves of the coca bush, found mainly in Peru and Bolivia
It’s a white powder, usually divided into lines on a smooth surface and snorted up the nose with a rolled up banknote or a straw. It can be smoked, and is sometimes made into a solution and injected
Effects & Risks
When sniffed the initial ‘rush’ peaks anywhere between 15 to 40 minutes giving feelings of energy, euphoria and strength, often making people very talkative. To maintain these feelings, doses have to be repeated every 20 minutes or so, although the stimulant effect may last for another hour. When injected the effects are immediate and more intense, however the rush doesn’t last as long, but again the stimulant effect may last for up to 45 minutes
When the effects wear off the user will probably feel as low as they felt high earlier
• Using it a lot makes people feel depressed and run down and can lead to panic attacks
• When sniffed, users can experience cold, numb or burning sensations
• As the drug wears off, symptoms such as runny nose, inflammation and general nasal irritation can occur
• Injecting cocaine carries all the same health risks as injecting any substance: abscesses, swelling, blood clots, vein damage, ulcers and gangrene – also, sharing injecting equipment increases the risk of HIV and Hepatitis
• It’s easier to overdose when injecting. Cocaine is a local anaesthetic and it deadens pain at the injection site. This makes it harder for injectors to notice the damage they may be doing
• Injecting a mixture of cocaine and heroin, known as a ‘Speedball’, is one of the most dangerous cocktails that can be put into the body
• It can bring on nausea, diarrhoea, erratic eating patterns leading to generally poor nutrition, weight loss, digestive disorders, dehydration and sometimes anorexia
• It causes the blood vessels to restrict, which can cause tightness in the chest
• Users can experience an irregular and/or abnormally rapid heartbeat and pulse rate
• Long term sniffing can lead to damage of the nasal membranes
• Sometimes leads to loss of sexual desire
• It can make you feel exhausted, unable to relax and can lead to insomnia
• If there have been previous mental health problems cocaine could bring those problems to the surface again. If a close relative has had mental health problems there might also be an increased risk in some users
• Taking cocaine when pregnant can harm your baby
Overdose
If repeatedly used over several hours or used in one large dose, it can cause the user’s blood pressure to shoot up and the heart to start skipping beats, possibly resulting in heart attacks, strokes, and/or respiratory collapse. You may not know you have a pre-existing heart condition
Addiction
Although not generally thought of as a physically addictive drug, regular use of cocaine will create a great psychological pull, possibly resulting in the user constantly craving more.
