Cocaine Addiction

Crack cocaine vs. powder cocaine describes the difference between the way cocaine is prepared and ingested by the drug user. Crack cocaine is different from powder cocaine in that it is processed to make a rock crystal, then heated to produce vapors, which are smoked. The powder form is dissolved in water and then injected.

Crack cocaine vs. powder cocaine represents the two most common ways that cocaine users do the cocaine to get high. Some find certain types of cocaine to give them a faster high, or it can be cheaper in price. For example, on the street crack cocaine is often cheaper to purchase than higher end cocaine. Crack cocaine is the given street name because of the way the rock crystal is heated to a vapor and then smoked. It is called crack because of the crackling sound that is produced by the rock as the drug user heats the drug in order to smoke the vapors. 

Cocaine addiction and abuse is one of the most abused types of illegal drugs. Unfortunately doing cocaine can quickly get a person addicted to the drug, and it is very difficult to recover from an addiction to cocaine abuse. Most that are addicted to the substance find that they have to attend a drug rehabilitation center, narcotics support groups and other forms of therapy to help get over the drug abuse.

Cocaine is typically abused in a variety of ways including snorting, smoking and shooting (injecting). For snorting, the cocaine powder is the type that is used and it becomes quickly absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Many drug users prefer cocaine powder vs. crack cocaine for this reason because it leads to a quicker high. Injecting is another way to feel the drug quickly absorbed in your blood stream and requires dissolving the cocaine in water and then shooting it intravenously. Smoking crack cocaine is the easiest way to ingest that form of cocaine. When it comes to the debate of crack cocaine vs. powder cocaine, many drug users will choose crack over powder form of cocaine because it is typically the lower purity form of a free-base cocaine that is often produced by the neutralization of cocaine hydrochloride with a solution of baking soda and water. It produces a very hard product that is white to brown colored and might also contain other materials like sodium carbonate, entrapped water as well as other by-products that are impurities. 

The drug user will then do the crack cocaine by smoking or inhaling the vapors that produce as a result of the burning of the crack cocaine. The cracking (hence crack cocaine) occurs because of the impurities off the crack cocaine. Many will opt for crack cocaine because they like the way the vapors have a very distinctive taste. Many drug users that choose crack cocaine vs. powder cocaine enjoy smoking it because they feel the immediate high, which can also cause the drug addiction to work faster on an individual person. The addictive qualities of crack cocaine and any kind of powder cocaine are incredibly powerful and work off of the initial crescendo of stimulation (ie. the rush) one receives when smoking, snorting or injecting the drug. 

Regardless of choosing crack cocaine over powder cocaine or the other way around, the addictive qualities and damage cocaine can have on a person's health can be devastating. That is why so many drug users eventually die from using the drugs because they build up such a tolerance to the drug that they end up over dosing. Even if they don't overdose, many drug users that are addicted to crack cocaine may also die slow death from being addicted to cocaine. They find that the effects of the drug on the central nervous system can cause tons of psychological effects that are long lasting as well as damage to the internal organs, especially the respiratory system if they are smoking the drug.

Treatment for drug use and abuse when it comes to crack cocaine and any other form of the drug often requires the addict to attend a specific treatment center or program that is designed to help drug abusers overcome their drug addiction and move on against the temptation to seek recovery. However, it is important to note that with long term drug use, comes long term effects that can last a lifetime doing permanent damage to the body and mind. That is why it is so important for teens and adults to stay away from harmful illegal drugs like cocaine in the first place. Unfortunately cocaine is the most widely abused illegal drug in the world. 

Sources: drugabuse.gov