Cocaine Vs. Crack

What we perceive to be the differences between cocaine and crack cocaine are often skewed and polarized. We think of cocaine as a luxury drug, a near harmless powder for the opulent sent from the heavens, while we think of crack as the drug of choice for the homeless or the poor. This is apocryphal thinking. Although crack is more addictive than cocaine, the disparities are widely over-bloated. Whichever version it is, if you are addicted to cocaine please call Right Path today so we can set you up with a consultation at the addiction recovery center that best suits your needs.

Crack is essentially powdered cocaine base cooked with water and baking soda until it becomes the solid rocks we are familiar with thinking about. It is then crushed up and smoked. Powder cocaine, however, cannot be smoked. It is through this crucial distinction that illuminates how crack is even more harmful than powdered cocaine. Smoking the rocks is a more intense version of snorting the powder, which makes it more addictive.

This does not mean that cocaine isn’t highly addictive. Like many high profile drugs, cocaine stimulates dopamine in the brain producing increased levels of euphoria and pleasure. The high from cocaine only lasts around 20 minutes when snorted and leads to unpleasant come-down. The immediate nature of the drug makes it immediately addictive. The high from smoking crack, however, only lasts five minutes and manufactures an even more condensed feeling of euphoria, leading to a much more urgent addiction.

The short-term effects of each version of the drug are fairly similar, with crack’s immediate effects being more extreme. Alertness, hyper-sensitivity to light, intense euphoria, energy, and paranoia are commonplace for both crack and powder cocaine. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that large amounts of the drug can lead to violent, erratic behavior. This is quite possibly why we associate crack with violence.

Long-term use of powder or crack cocaine can lead to heart problems, nosebleeds, tremors, twitches, and even Parkinson’s Disease. A similar pattern is seen here, crack cocaine is associated with the negative side effects because they are more prominent considering the drugs addictive and urgent nature. Though if you were to snort as much cocaine as one smokes, the side effects would be much of the same.

Despite their differences, crack and powdered cocaine are essentially the same thing, packaged differently. One to sell to the rich, another to sell to the poor. The effects are nearly identical, but are more concentrated and dangerous when you smoke crack as opposed to snorting the powder.

If you or anyone you know is addicted to powder or crack cocaine, it is imperative that you get help from a drug rehab center as soon as possible. Please call Right Path Drug Rehab today to set up a consultation at the right addiction treatment facility for your needs.