Crack cocaine

The origin of the name "crack" comes from the "crackling" sound that is produced when the cocaine and its impurities (i.e. water, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)) are heated past the point of vaporization. It is also commonly called "rock" on the street, a name that comes from its physical appearance after processing. When bulk quantities of powdered cocaine are mixed with baking soda or ammonia and water, then heated, it forms small, hard, solid crystals or pellets that resemble rocks. ==Chemistry==

As the name implies, "freebase" is the base form of cocaine, as opposed to the salt form. It is practically insoluble in water whereas hydrochloride salt is water-soluble. Smoking freebase cocaine has the additional effect of releasing methylecgonidine into the user's system due to the pyrolysis of the substance (a side effect which insufflating or injecting powder cocaine does not create). Some research suggests that smoking freebase cocaine can be even more cardiotoxic than other routes of administration because of methylecgonidine's effects on lung tissue and liver tissue. Pure cocaine is prepared by neutralizing its compounding salt with an alkaline solution, which will precipitate non-polar basic cocaine. It is further refined through aqueous-solvent liquid–liquid extraction. Purer forms of crack resemble off-white, jagged-edged "rocks" of a hard, brittle plastic, with a slightly higher density than candle wax. a drug used to treat parasitic worm infections, has been documented. Synthesis , a commonly used base in making crack, metal spoon, tealight, and cigarette lighter. The spoon is held over the heat source to "cook" the cocaine into crack. Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3, common baking soda) is a base used in the preparation of crack, although other weak bases may substitute for it. The net reaction when using sodium bicarbonate is :Coc-H+Cl− + NaHCO3 → Coc + H2O + CO2 + NaCl With ammonium bicarbonate: :Coc-H+Cl− + NH4HCO3 → Coc + NH4Cl + CO2 + H2O With ammonium carbonate: :2(Coc-H+Cl−) + (NH4)2CO3 → 2 Coc + 2 NH4Cl + CO2 + H2O Crack cocaine is frequently purchased already in rock form, Harm reduction and public health agencies may distribute packets of citric acid or ascorbic acid (vitamin C) for this purpose. ==Recreational use==

Effects of crack cocaine include euphoria, and paranoia (ending after use). Its initial effect is to release a large amount of dopamine, a brain chemical inducing feelings of euphoria. The high usually lasts from five to ten minutes, The onset of cocaine's euphoric effects is fastest with inhalation, beginning after 3–5 seconds. The drug is then quickly transported to the brain, where it acts on the central nervous system, producing an almost immediate "high" that can be very powerful – this initial crescendo of stimulation known as a rush. This is followed by an equally intense low, leaving the user craving more of the drug. Addiction to crack usually occurs within four to six weeks – much more rapidly than regular cocaine. Route of administration " in San Francisco, California, in December 2005 Crack cocaine is usually heated in a drug pipe until sublimation occurs at a relatively low temperature (about 90°C) and the vapor is inhaled. This process is commonly referred to as "freebasing." Although commonly called "smoking," this method actually involves vaporizing the drug rather than burning it. If crack cocaine is burned directly, such as in a regular tobacco pipe, roll-your-own cigarette, or aluminum foil higher temperatures may lead to decomposition of the active compound, reducing its effectiveness. This is why vaporization at lower temperatures, rather than combustion, is the preferred method for administration. While no formal studies have specifically quantified the extent of drug loss during combustion, users commonly choose to vaporize crack cocaine in order to maximize its effects and potentially avoid wasting money. Additionally, vaporizing is generally considered less harsh on the throat and lungs compared to smoking crack through a tobacco pipe, as combustion can produce more irritating and toxic by-products. Pyrolysis products of cocaine that occur only when heated/smoked have been shown to change the effect profile, i.e. anhydroecgonine methyl ester, when co-administered with cocaine, increases the dopamine in CPu and NAc brain regions, and has M1 — and M3 — receptor affinity. The effects felt almost immediately after inhaled are very intense and do not last long — usually 2 to 10 minutes. When smoked, cocaine is sometimes combined with other drugs, such as cannabis, often rolled into a joint or blunt. Love rose People often freebase crack with a pipe made from a small glass tube, often taken from "love roses", small glass tubes with a paper rose that are promoted as romantic gifts. These are sometimes called "stems", "horns", "blasters" and "straight shooters". A small piece of clean heavy copper or occasionally stainless steel scouring padoften called a "brillo" (actual Brillo Pads contain soap, and are not used) or "chore" (named for Chore Boy brand copper scouring pads)serves as a reduction base and flow modulator in which the "rock" can be melted and boiled to vapor. Crack is smoked by placing it at the end of the pipe; a flame held close to it produces vapor, which is then inhaled by the smoker. ==Adverse effects==

Physiological Incidental exposure of the eye to sublimated cocaine while smoking crack cocaine can cause serious injury to the cornea and long-term loss of visual acuity. The short-term physiological effects of cocaine include Like other forms of cocaine, smoking crack can increase heart rate lungs, and liver. • Toxic adulterants: Many substances may have been added to expand the weight and volume of a batch, while still appearing to be pure crack. Occasionally, highly toxic substances are used, with a range of corresponding short and long-term health risks. Adulterants used with crack and cocaine include milk powder, sugars such as glucose, starch, caffeine, lidocaine, benzocaine, paracetamol, amphetamine, scopolamine and strychnine. • Smoking problems: Any route of administration poses its own set of health risks; in the case of crack cocaine, smoking tends to be more harmful than other routes. Crack users tend to smoke the drug because that has a higher bioavailability than other routes typically used for drugs of abuse, such as insufflation. Crack has a melting point of around , Having a very hot pipe pressed against the lips often causes cracked and blistered lips, colloquially known as "crack lip". The use of "convenience store crack pipes" are not durable and will quickly develop breaks; users may continue to use the pipe even though it has been broken to a shorter length. The hot pipe might burn the lips, tongue, or fingers, especially when passed between people who take hits in rapid succession, causing the short pipe to reach higher temperatures than if used by one person alone. • Pure or large doses: Because the quality of crack can vary greatly, some people might smoke larger amounts of diluted crack, unaware that a similar amount of a new batch of purer crack could cause an overdose. This can trigger heart problems or cause unconsciousness. • Pathogens on pipes: When pipes are shared, bacteria or viruses can be transferred from person to person. Crack cocaine causes DNA damage in multiple organs of rats and mice. Crack lung In crack users, acute respiratory symptoms have been reported, sometimes termed "crack lung". Symptoms include fever, coughing up blood and difficulty breathing. In the 48-hour period after use, people with these symptoms have also had associated radiographic findings on chest X-ray of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), interstitial pneumonia, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, and eosinophil infiltration. Psychological Intranasal cocaine and crack use are both associated with pharmacological violence. Crack-related violence is also systemic, relating to disputes between crack dealers and users. Stimulant drug abuse (particularly amphetamine and cocaine) can lead to delusional parasitosis (aka Ekbom's Syndrome: a mistaken belief they are infested with parasites). People experiencing these hallucinations might scratch themselves to the extent of serious skin damage and bleeding, especially when they are delirious. Pregnancy and nursing Crack baby is a term for a child born to a mother who used crack cocaine during her pregnancy. The threat that cocaine use during pregnancy poses to the fetus is now considered exaggerated. Some of the other risks are now considered exaggerated as well, specifically the risk of irreversible behavior changes, criminal tendencies and intellectual disability. Studies show that prenatal cocaine exposure (independent of other effects such as, for example, alcohol, tobacco, or physical environment) has no appreciable effect on childhood growth and development. However, the official opinion of the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the United States warns about health risks while cautioning against stereotyping: There are also warnings about the threat of breastfeeding: The March of Dimes said "it is likely that cocaine will reach the baby through breast milk," and advises the following regarding cocaine use during pregnancy: Other studies have also noted these risks. Reinforcement disorders Tolerance An appreciable tolerance to cocaine's high may develop, with many addicts reporting that they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first experience. They argued that cocaine users who are already prone to abuse are most likely to "move toward a more efficient mode of ingestion" (that is, smoking). The intense desire to recapture the initial high is what is so addictive for many users. ==Overdose==

A typical response among users is to have another hit of the drug; however, the levels of dopamine in the brain take a long time to replenish themselves, and each hit taken in rapid succession leads to progressively less intense highs. Nonetheless, a person might binge for 3 or more days without sleep, while inhaling hits from a pipe. Use of cocaine in a binge, during which the drug is taken repeatedly and at increasingly high doses, leads to a state of increasing irritability, restlessness, and paranoia. This may result in total paranoid psychosis, in which the individual loses touch with reality and experiences auditory hallucinations. Large amounts of crack cocaine (several hundred milligrams or more) intensify the user's high, but may also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior. Large amounts can induce tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia, or, with repeated doses, a toxic reaction closely resembling amphetamine poisoning. == Society and culture ==

Synonyms Crack cocaine is known by many streets names, the most common of which include, base; boulder; gravel; hail; hubba; rock; and yahoo. Drug combinations Crack cocaine may be combined with amphetamine ("croak"); tobacco ("coolie"); marijuana ("turbbo"); heroin ("moon rock"); and phencyclidine ("spacebase"). Cocaine is listed as a Schedule I drug in the United Nations 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, making it illegal for non-state-sanctioned production, manufacture, export, import, distribution, trade, use and possession. In most states (except in the United States) crack falls under the same category as cocaine. Australia In Australia, crack falls under the same category as cocaine, which is listed as a Schedule 8 controlled drug, indicating that any substances and preparations for therapeutic use under this category have a high potential for abuse and addiction. It is permitted for some medical use but is otherwise outlawed. Canada As a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, crack is not differentiated from cocaine and other coca products. However, the court may weigh the socio-economic factors of crack usage in sentencing. As a guideline, Schedule I drugs carry a maximum seven-year prison sentence for possession for an indictable offense and up to life imprisonment for trafficking and production. A summary conviction on possession carries a $1000–2000 fine and/or six months to a year imprisonment. United States In the United States, cocaine is a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act, indicating that it has a high abuse potential but also carries a medicinal purpose. Under the Controlled Substances Act, crack and cocaine are considered the same drug. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 increased penalties for crack cocaine possession and usage. It mandated a mandatory minimum sentence of five years without parole for possession of five grams of crack; to receive the same sentence with powder cocaine one had to have 500 grams. This sentencing disparity was reduced from to by the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. Europe In the United Kingdom, crack is a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. In the Netherlands it is a List 1 drug of the Opium Law. Political scandals captured on a surveillance camera smoking crack cocaine during a sting operation Marion Barry, Mayor of Washington D.C., was filmed smoking crack in 1990 in a sting operation. Rob Ford, Mayor of Toronto, Ontario was filmed smoking crack in 2013 by gang members while holding office. Impact for prostitution. "NOPD will be called" refers to New Orleans Police Department. Many major American urban areas contain crack houses. In some cases, enraged citizens have burned crack houses to the ground, in hopes that by destroying the sites for drug operations they would also drive the illegal industries from their neighborhoods. Crack cocaine use is often initiated through close social relationships and may serve as a coping mechanism for trauma and negative emotions. It is perceived as more potent and harmful than powdered cocaine, with increased risks of violence, social isolation, and involvement in the sex trade. Based on a small sample of women, findings suggest the importance of addressing emotional regulation, trauma, and social support in prevention and treatment, though they are not broadly generalizable. ==See also==