Crack Cocaine

Street Names: Crack is commonly called Hard Rock, Rock and The Chunk on the streets.

Description: Crack is the rock form of cocaine. Crack is sold in relatively inexpensive individual dosage units that are ready to be smoked. Crack emerged in the mid-1980’s and its spread was accompanied by a drastic increase in drug-related violence and other drug abuse problems. 

Derivation: Crack cocaine is derived from powder cocaine. A solution containing water, powder cocaine, and other ingredients is boiled to create a solid substance, crack cocaine. Crack is then dried and broken into individual dosage units called rocks. Rocks typically weigh between one-tenth to one half of a gram. Crack rocks are typically 75-90% pure cocaine.

Use: Smoking crack cocaine is extremely dangerous because it allows excessive doses of cocaine to quickly reach the brain in about 19 seconds. The high produced by crack is fast and intense. Crack is typically smoked in pipes or sprinkled in cigarette tobacco and smoked.

Effects: Crack users reach a maximum high approximately 1-2 minutes after inhalation. The physical and psychological high lasts about 30 minutes after the high is attained. The user usually experiences intense feelings of depression when coming down off the high. Smoking crack causes aggressive and paranoid behavior. Deaths usually result from seizures or heart attacks followed by respiratory failure.

For more information on crack cocaine, visit: http://www.streetdrugs.org/