Crack

Crack is the crystal form of cocaine, which normally comes in a powder form.1 It comes in solid blocks or crystals varying in color from yellow to pale rose or white.

This drug is heated and smoked. It is so named because it makes a cracking or popping sound when heated.

Crack, the most potent form in which cocaine appears, is also the riskiest. It is between 75% and 100% pure, far stronger and more potent than regular cocaine.

Smoking crack allows it to reach the brain more quickly and thus brings an intense and immediate—but very short-lived—high that lasts about fifteen minutes. And because addiction can develop even more rapidly if the substance is smoked rather than snorted (taken in through the nose), an abuser can become addicted after his or her first time trying crack.

Because of cocaine’s high cost, it has long been considered a “rich man’s drug.” Crack, on the other hand, is sold at prices so low that even teens can afford to buy it—at first. The truth is that once a person is addicted, the expense skyrockets in direct ratio to the increasing amount needed to support the habit.

Crack & Crime

The 2006 US National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that 8.6 million Americans aged 12 and older reported having used crack. Among those 18 to 25, 6.9% of those surveyed said they had used cocaine (including crack) within the last year. The 2007 US Government's Monitoring the Future survey found that among high-school students, 3.2% of twelfth graders had used crack cocaine at some point in their lives.
In the United States, crack cocaine was the primary drug of abuse in 178,475 admissions to treatment in 2006. This represented 71% of all primary cocaine admissions to treatment that year.

Crack effects

Crack abuse can cause side effects on both your physical and psychological health. Psychologically, crack addicts tend to have mood swings, suffer from depression and anxiety and engage in risky behavior as outlined above. Crack addicts may also sabotage relationships or get into financial trouble because of their desire to smoke crack at the expense of other important aspects of their lives.

People who smoke crack are at increased risk of heart attack or stroke because crack abuse causes high blood pressure and can cause the aortic artery to tear. Crack addicts may also be more susceptible to other illnesses because they don’t eat or sleep enough and may not be attentive to their hygiene. Finally, smoking crack puts users at risk of lung disease because they are introducing foreign substances into their lungs.

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