COCAINE

Cocaine is an illegal class a drug. it can make you feel confident, excited and alert on the way up, and paranoid, aggressive and anxious on the way down.

WHAT IS COCAINE?

Cocaine is a stimulant drug produced from the leaves of the coca plant. The leaves are mashed together with various solvents and other substances to extract the cocaine. This is turned into a white crystalline powder.

WHAT ELSE IS IN COCAINE?

Cocaine is often mixed with other chemicals such as lidocaine, caffeine and sugars, which are used to bulk out the cocaine and mimic some of its effects. The purity of cocaine can vary enormously.

HOW IS COCAINE USED?

Cocaine is usually sniffed up the nose through a small tube such as a straw or rolled-up bank note. In clubs, users might dip the end of a key into the bag of cocaine and sniff a small amount from the tip.

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WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF COCAINE?

Cocaine speeds up your heart rate, breathing and brain activity causing enlarged pupils, raised blood pressure and body temperature. It can make you feel confident, exhilarated, excited and alert. But cocaine can also make you feel paranoid, edgy and anxious.

When cocaine is sniffed the effects start within a few minutes and will last approximately 40- 60 minutes, depending on how much you use, your mood, your size and how often you have used cocaine.

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS WITH COCAINE?

PHYSICAL HEALTH

Cocaine increases your heart rate and can cause it to beat erratically, constrict blood vessels, increase body temperature and increase the risk of a seizure or fit.

When cocaine is absorbed into the bloodstream through the lining of your nose, the drug shrinks the blood vessels and damages the lining of your nose. Symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion and nosebleeds.

Unlike alcohol or heroin, you can’t become physically addicted to cocaine. But, with regular use, you can develop a serious psychological addiction, which can be just as damaging to both your financial and mental health.

MENTAL HEALTH

When the effects of cocaine wear off, you can feel depressed, anxious and paranoid. The more you use, the more you are likely to experience bad feelings. If you stop using, these feelings normally go away.

MONEY PROBLEMS

Building up a tolerance to cocaine can mean you use more to get the same effect. Spending increasing amounts of money on cocaine can leave you seriously in debt.

MIXING DRUGS

Taking more than one drug at the same time can cause unpredictable and potentially dangerous effects. For example, cocaine and alcohol when used together produce a substance called cocaethylene, which is more toxic than either substance alone.

OVERDOSE

Signs of overdose can include heavy sweating tremors, confusion, hyperactivity, seizures, stroke, and irregular heartbeats. Risk of overdose increases if cocaine is mixed with other drugs including alcohol.

REDUCING RISKS

The best way to avoid the risk associated with drugs is not to use drugs. But if you are using, or considering using cocaine, the advice below will help minimise the risks to your health.

Sharing straws or notes for snorting is risky. Viruses like hepatitis and herpes can be transmitted in snot and blood from the inside of the nose. If your nose is bleeding, take a break.

Don’t mix cocaine with other drugs, particularly alcohol. This can lead to dependence on several drugs and increase your risk of overdose.

Only buy what you are going to use during a session. Don’t buy ‘some for later’ as ‘later’ will only become ‘now’.

Find something to keep you busy that doesn’t remind you of cocaine. This could mean changing where you socialise or visiting friends that don’t use cocaine.

Cocaine will reduce your need to sleep or eat, which in turn can affect your physical and mental health. Try to eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep