CRACK COCAINEBy Charlie Joyce

Chemical and Street NamesChemical Name: C17H21NO4

Street Names • 24-7• Apple jacks• Badrock• Ball• Base• Beat• Candy• Chemical• Cloud• Cookies• Crack• Crumbs• Crunch & munch• Devil drug• Dice• Electric kool-aid• Fat bags• French fries

Because Crack Cocaine is an illegal drug, many different and obscure street names have been conceived to cover up usage, and to hide from authorities.

• Glo• Gravel• Grit• Hail• Hard ball• Hard rock• Hotcakes• Ice cube• Jelly beans• Kryptonite• Nuggets• Paste• Piece• Prime time• Product• Raw• Rock(s)• Rock star• Rox/

Roxanne• Scrabble• Sleet• Snow coke• Sugar block• Topo

(Spanish)• Tornado• Troop

Basic KnowledgeCrack cocaine is a crystalline form of cocaine which can be smoked. Its name comes from the popping, or cracking sounds it makes when smoked, and has been called the most addictive form of cocaine. In the 1980s, inner-city suburbs in the United States became Crack usage hot-spots, with a rapid increase in availability and use. This is referred to as the ‘Crack Epidemic’.

Short Term EffectsThe smoking of Crack cocaine causes a number of immediate side effects. These include euphoria (intense happiness), supreme confidence, insomnia, alertness, increased energy, a craving for more of the drug. It also can cause potential paranoia. The high usually lasts from 5-10 minutes, and is quickly followed by the user feeling depressed and low.

Long Term EffectsCrack cocaine can also lead to more negative long term effects. This includes severe damage to internal organs, respiratory problems, including coughing, shortness of breath, lung damage and bleeding. Continued use can also lead to insomnia and loss of appetite, which can lead to malnutrition. Users also find they need the drug to feel ‘normal’. They also loose interest in other areas of life. Depression is also a common side effect of the drug, often leading users to commit, or attempt suicide.