Cocaine
Other names include:
“Coke” “Snow” “Charlie” “White” “Gear” “Pure” “Proper” “P” “Crack” “Sniff”
About the drug:
Cocaine is a fine white powder and has a chemical or metallic-like smell to it. It can come in different strengths known as Street & Pure – this often describes ‘how much’ cocaine is in the powder.
Cocaine is usually snorted but can also be injected.
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Street - £20-£30 per 1g bag
Pure - £80-£90 per 1g bag
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Usually snorted, rubbed on gums, but can also be injected.
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Cocaine is a short acting drug and the effects only last between 15-30 minutes depending on the product. Therefore, it is often taken at regular intervals to maintain the high, increasing the chances of becoming addicted.
Effects of Cocaine include:
increased happiness and energy
more alert / Wide Awake
feel more confident
dilated pupils
nausea
restlessness
irritability
talkativeness
hypersensitivity to light, sound, and touch
talking faster and more animated
reduced appetite
reduced sex drive.
take risks you wouldn’t normally take
Hyperactivity
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Paranoia
Anxiety
Tremors or muscle twitches
Fast or irregular heartbeat
Palpitation / chest pains
Increased blood pressure
Excess sweating
Become arrogant / aggressive
Taking cocaine on its own causes a rush of energy, a high or feelings of euphoria.
Although alcohol usually slows the body down, taking cocaine and alcohol together can make the effects and risks of cocaine more severe. This can lead to heart issues such as stroke, chest pains.
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Tiny plastic resealable bags
Snorting cocaine may have a razor blade, cut-off straws, and a small mirror or flat surface with powdered residue on it.
Regular nose bleeds, running nose after use.
Smoking cocaine may have aluminium foil, a lighter, and a straw, or a small metal pipe with a hole at the top.
Regularly smoking crack can cause breathing problems and pains in the chest
Injecting cocaine may have tourniquets, spoons with bent handles, syringes, and lighters.
Injecting cocaine can damage veins and cause ulcers and gangrene. Sharing needles or other injecting equipment can spread HIV and hepatitis infections too. It's also easier to overdose from injecting cocaine.
Becoming more irritable, mood swings
Feeling depressed, on edge, paranoid
Issues around finances – borrowing money from friends & family, getting into debt, selling items they own, money going missing, getting involved in crime to cover their drug costs.