Cocaine (coke, Charlie, blow, flake, snow) is a hugely addictive stimulant that comes in white powdered form extracted from the leaves of the South American coca plant and is usually snorted, although it is sometimes also dissolved in water and injected into the body. When cocaine is made into crystal form to be smoked, it is called crack or crack cocaine.

The immediate effect is one of euphoria and alertness, and the high lasts between 15 and 30 minutes, shorter if you smoke it. Most users find they develop a tolerance to the drug so that they need increasingly more to produce the same high, which again increases their risk of becoming addicted. But as tolerance rises, so does the drug’s anaesthetic effect, which is probably responsible for deaths caused by low amounts of cocaine.

Cocaine use can cause sudden heart attacks, strokes, respiratory failure, nervous system and digestive problems, chronic depression, memory loss, loss of interest in work, sex and social life, seizures and death, even if only a small amount is used and it’s the user’s first time.

In the short-term, cocaine causes dilated pupils, headaches, high blood pressure and increased heart rate (the reason for the heart attack risk). Mentally, it also causes irritability, anxiety, paranoia and even psychosis and hallucinations.

Regularly snorting cocaine can cause nose bleeds and loss of your sense of smell. It reduces blood flow and can result in bowel gangrene – and the loss of appetite can lead to malnourishment. There’s also an increased HIV risk if it’s injected.

Plus, when you mix cocaine with alcohol you get a chemical reaction which is responsible for a large proportion of cocaine-related death.
The addiction is strong, sometimes taking hold after only one usage. It’s also both physical and mental, so experts say the best way to treat a cocaine addiction is through a mixture of medication and cognitive behavioural therapy – discussing your feelings and the reasons behind your behaviour with a therapist or psychiatrist.

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