Crack is a form of cocaine processed with baking soda or ammonia into a more potent, smokable “rock”. The drug’s highs are immediate and intense but are short-lived, usually 5-15 minutes. A user can become addicted after the first hit making this a highly addictive, dangerous drug. Addiction should be treated as soon as possible in a crack cocaine treatment center staffed by medical professionals.

Recoverycorps.org has a database of crack cocaine treatment programs, hospitals and information to help.  

The Low Down on Crack
Crack cocaine is a central nervous system stimulant that causes euphoria, alertness and increased energy. It also causes the user to crave more of it because of its intensity and short-lived high. This high is felt in 10-15 seconds when the vapors hit the brain.

Crack CocaineCrack is made in a process called freebasing where it’s cooked with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or ammonia. This cooking creates off color rocks or chips that resemble rock candy or plastic.

 The term crack comes from the crackling sound the rock makes when heated. It is usually smoked through a glass pipe. Sometimes it’s snorted or injected intravenously.

Crack cocaine is a Schedule II narcotic in the U.S. on the Controlled Substances Act.

During the early 1980s there was an oversupply of cocaine causing the price to drop. Dealers took this cocaine and converted it to crack. They could sell crack in smaller amounts to more people.

The drug quickly became popular in the inner cities because at the time, users could buy a rock for as low as $2.50. The high was instant and created an even bigger demand from users.

Some common street names are rooster, jelly beans, tornado, oolies (marijuana laced with crack), moonrock (crack mixed with heroin), wicky stick (PCP, marijuana, and crack).

Effects on the Brain
When crack cocaine hits the brain, a large amount of dopamine is released. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, is involved in the pleasure response and reward system of the body. Not only does the body crave the drug physically, it is also psychologically conditioned to get the reward—almost like the dog in Pavlov’s experiment.

With continued crack abuse, the dopamine process is damaged making the user’s future ability to feel pleasure diminish.

The long-term effects are many. But in general they are mood change, irritability, auditory hallucinations, extreme paranoia, and of course addiction.

Short-Term Effects

  • Increased blood pressure and heart rate
  • Constricted peripheral blood vessels
  • Increased rate of breathing
  • Dilated pupils
  • Intense euphoria
  • Decreased appetite
  • Anxiety and paranoia
  • Aggressive, paranoid behavior
  • Depression
  • Intense drug craving

Crack Usage Facts
In treatment centers, crack as the primary drug of abuse decreased from 174,900 in 1997 to 167,914 in 2007. Thirty-nine was the average age of those admitted to treatment for crack cocaine in 2007.

Approximately 8.4 million Americans aged 12 or older reported trying crack cocaine at least once during their lifetimes, according to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
And about 1.1 million reported past year crack cocaine use and 359,000 reported past month crack cocaine use

In another 2008 survey, 2.3% of tenth graders, and 3.2% of twelfth graders reported lifetime use of crack cocaine.

The number of initiates (first time users) of crack cocaine declined from 2002 to 2009 from 337,000 to 94,000.

Crack Arrest Facts
In 2004, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made 3,921 arrests for crack cocaine.

In 2008, 6,168 offenders sentenced for crack cocaine charges in U.S. courts. 95.9% of the crack cocaine cases involved trafficking.

The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 was signed into law by President Obama. This changed the “minimum quantity of crack cocaine that triggers a 5-year mandatory minimum from 5 grams to 28 grams, and from 50 grams to 280 grams to trigger a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence.”

Don’t be one these statistics. Get help with crack cocaine therapy.

Crack Cocaine Rehabilitation and Therapy
The very first hit of the crack pipe is usually the most intense. The user tries to duplicate that hit with another. Then another, always chasing the last, more intense high. It’s a vicious cycle.

And because the high is so intense, short-lived, and affects the reward system of brain, the user immediately craves another hit making the drug highly addictive physically and psychologically. Combine this tolerance building—needing more and more to achieve the same high—and you have a quick recipe for crack cocaine addiction.

You can tackle your addiction at a treatment center. Treatment usually consists of medical detox, cognitive behavioral therapy, counseling, and 12-step programs like Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Getting help is crucial to end the addiction. Your crack cocaine recovery starts now. Search Recoverycorps.org's database for a treatment center in your area. This guide will help you select a treatment center.

Sources:
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/crack/crack_ff.html
http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/drugs/crack.asp
http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/abuse/doa-p.pdf
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Crime
http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k9NSDUH/2k9ResultsP.pdf