Illegal drugs can ruin a life in multiple ways. Imagine being addicted to a drug to the extent that you are willing to do anything to get more, even if it means breaking the law. Not to mention that it has a number of serious health risks that can ultimately lead to death. One of the most dangerous drugs is cocaine. About 19% of drug users take cocaine, making it the second most used drug next to marijuana. What makes things worse is that the number of cocaine users is increasing. As a result, governments are doing their best to fight drugs by creating stricter policies while there are more drug rehabs like Bali Health Services appearing as well to help addiction.
Getting to Know Cocaine
Cocaine is an illegal stimulant that speeds up the transmission of messages between the brain and different parts of the body. It heightens your senses in an abnormal way and makes you feel extremely energetic. It is a very powerful drug that can seriously damage your health and well-being. It comes from the leaves of coca bush, a plant native in South America. It is then extracted to produce three different kinds of cocaine, namely:
- Cocaine Hydrochloride
It is a white crystalline powder that has a bitter taste and numbing effect. This is commonly mixed with other substances like glucose and lactose.
- Freebase
This is a purer version of cocaine hydrochloride. It features a white chalky powder that is finer than other types.
- Crack
Crack is made up of crystals which appear in various colours, such as white, pink, yellow and even transparent. This form of cocaine is the least pure of them all.
Methods of Using Crack
There are three methods of taking crack – injecting, smoking, and snorting. Injecting cocaine directly into the bloodstream gives the strongest effects. Meanwhile, smoking it in the form of crack is the most popular way of taking it. There are also others that find it more satisfying to inhale or snort it.
Short-term Effects
Cocaine causes intense, but short-lived highs that are followed by the exact opposite feelings. It might make you extremely happy and energetic for the first few minutes, but once the effects fade, you’ll feel depressed and extremely exhausted. Users will also experience muscle spasms, increased heart rate, and convulsions. It can also make people hostile, paranoid, and anxious.
Long-term Effects
The more you use cocaine, the more your body becomes tolerant of its effects. This leads to addiction. You feel the need to take in greater quantities because taking it in small amounts doesn’t have any significant effect on your body.
This causes sleep deprivation, loss of appetite, and hallucinations in the long run. This also increases the likelihood of seizure, stroke, heart attack, and other respiratory diseases that can unfortunately lead to death.
Final Thoughts
Drugs don’t do any good. They only ruin lives and bring death and misery to millions of people. Know what they really are, as well as their effects. Share the knowledge with as many people as possible. You’re going to save lives if you do.
