Why shouldn't I smoke crack cocaine? 

Well, here's are some Physiological effects of crack cocaine:

• Constricted blood vessels (vasoconstriction)
• Elevated blood pressure (hypertension)
• Increased heart rate (Tachycardia)
• Increased temperature
• Pupil dilation 
• Increased alertness
• Locomotor hyperactivity

and.. here are some cognitive/behavioural effects of crack cocaine:

• Euphoria
• Loss of appetite
• Insomnia 
• Increased energy
• High self-confidence 

Does crack cocaine have any effect on our brain? 
Yes, it does.

• The Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) is a cluster of cell bodies, found in the midbrain, whose axons synapse (junction) with an area of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. The chemical neurotransmitter, dopamine (involved with reward and pleasure), is released in the nucleus accumbens; this results in a 'feeling of pleasure'.

• This is what occurs under normal body conditions, during pleasureable activities. Dopamine is released from a VTA cell body terminal bouton (pre-synaptic neuron); it travels across the synapse (gap between two nerve cells) and binds to a receptor on a neuron found in the nucleus accumbens (post-synaptic neuron) resulting in the 'pleasurable feeling'. Dopamine is then reabsorbed by the VTA cell body terminal bouton, with the help of a dopamine transporter (a protein molecule).

• When crack cocaine enters our body, it affects the normal dopamine cycle by attaching itself to the dopamine transporter. This prevent dopamine from being reabsorbed by the VTA cell body terminal bouton, and hence, allows dopamine to continuously bind to the receptor on the neuron found in the nucleus accumbens. This allows for elevated levels of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, producing a continual pleasurable or 'euphoric' response. 

The method of 'smoking' crack cocaine is ideal for addicts, as it has a very fast onset of action, somewhere between 10-15 seconds. However, it only provides a brief high, of roughly 10-15 minutes. Since crack cocaine is rapidly broken down and provides a short high, this promotes further use of it. 


In many cases, crack cocaine addiction gives addicts a diminished sense of responsibility which can lead to a number of other problems, including unsafe sex and then potentially, HIV. 

Maybe smoking crack cocaine is not such a good idea anymore..

Interesting...


Crack cocaine get's its name from the 'crackling' sounds it makes when heated and smoked. 


Neat, eh? 

So, what exactly is 'crack cocaine'?

Cocaine, also known as benzoylmethylecgonine, is a powerful stimulant that comes from the coca leaf, which grows on the coca tree (Erythroxylum coca). This tree is found in many regions in South America including Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. Cocaine is known to have a wide range of physiological and cognitive/behavioural effects and is considered to be an addictive drug.

 

There are 4 main ways cocaine can be taken:

• 1) The coca leaf: many South American natives indulge in the practice of chewing coca leaves (which contains about ~1% cocaine). This is an easy and practical way to get cocaine into the body, as coca leaves are readily available and need not be manipulated. Coca leaves are commonly chewed for medicinal, social and religious purposes. 

• 2) Coca paste (cocaine sulfate): comes from mixing cocaine leaves in a solution of water and dilute sulfuric acid; coca paste is commonly combined with tobacco and smoked in many regions in South America.

• 3) Street cocaine (cocaine hydrochloride): white, crystalline powder form of cocaine produced by combining paste from the coca leaf with hydrochloric acid to form a salt (water-soluble); it is commonly injected (by first dissolving it in water) or taken intranasally (snorted).

• 4) Crack cocaine (freebase cocaine): cocaine hydrochloride is treated with ammonia and ether or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda); water is then added and it is heated to remove the hydrochloride; this results in crack cocaine. Freebasing is a term used to describe the practice of smoking cocaine. It is important to note that crack cocaine is not burned like tobacco but rather heated until it vaporizes. Crack cocaine can be smoked from a pipe, burnt on a piece of tin foil, or mixed with tobacco/marijuana and smoked like a cigarette/joint. It can also be injected (not as common). 

Crack Cocaine

Once inside the body, every form of cocaine (including crack) is metabolized (broken down) to benzoylecgonine.

In my forthcoming blogs, I will be talking more about crack cocaine and then getting into it's implications in Ottawa, Canada. My next blog will be detailing how crack cocaine affects one's body.

Stay tuned!

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting my blog!

My name is Amisha and I am undergraduate student who is fascinated by how and why people get addicted to things -- particularly drugs. Through my blogs, in the next couple of weeks, I hope to inform you about crack cocaine and its problem in Ottawa, Canada. I will be addressing the following topics:

General:

• What is crack cocaine?
• How does it affect one’s body? 
• Why do people get addicted?

Specific to Ottawa:

• Who said Ottawa has a crack problem? 
• Life of a crack cocaine addict in Ottawa
• Crack cocaine from an Ottawa police officer's perspective
• What is being done to help crack cocaine addicts in Ottawa?

I hope my blogs are educative and informative about crack cocaine and it's implications in Ottawa.

Amisha