Cocaine

What is cocaine?
Cocaine is a stimulant drug. They speed up messages travelling between the brain and body.

Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca bush (Erythroxylum coca), native to South America.1 The leaf extract is processed to produce three different forms of cocaine:

Cocaine hydrochloride:  a fine white powder with a bitter, numbing taste.2 Cocaine hydrochloride is often mixed, or ‘cut’, with other substances such as lidocaine, talcum powder or sugar to dilute it before being sold.2
Freebase: a white powder that is purer than cocaine hydrochloride.3
Crack: crystals ranging from white or cream to transparent with a pink or yellow hue. It may contain impurities.3
Other names
C, coke, crack, nose candy, snow, white lady, toot, Charlie, blow, white dust or stardust.

Effects of cocaine
There is no safe level of drug use. Use of any drug always carries some risk. It’s important to be careful when taking any type of drug.

Cocaine affects everyone differently, based on:

size, weight and health
whether the person is used to taking it
whether other drugs are taken around the same time
the amount taken
the strength of the drug (varies from batch to batch).
You may experience:

happiness and confidence
talking more
feeling energetic and alert
anxiety
paranoia
irritability and agitation
headaches
dizziness
feeling physically strong and mentally sharp
reduced appetite
dry mouth
enlarged (dilated) pupils
higher blood pressure and faster heartbeat and breathing
higher body temperature
increased sex drive
insomnia
unpredictable, violent or aggressive behaviour
indifference to pain.4