Cocaine
A powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America. For more information, see the Cocaine Research Report.
Street Names Commercial Names Common Forms Commons Ways
Taken
DEA
Schedule
Blow, Bump, C, Coke,
Crack, Dust, Flake,
Nose Candy, Rock,
Snow, Sneeze, Sniff,
Toot, White Rock
With heroin: Speedball
Cocaine hydrochloride
topical solution (low
dose anesthetic used
in certain medical
procedures)
White powder, whitish rock
crystal
Snorted, smoked,
injected
II
Possible Health Effects
Short-term Narrowed blood vessels; enlarged pupils; increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure; headache; abdominal pain and nausea; euphoria; increased energy, alertness; insomnia, restlessness; anxiety; erratic and violent behavior, panic attacks, paranoia, psychosis; heart rhythm problems, heart attack; stroke, seizure, coma.
Long-term Loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, nasal damage and trouble swallowing from snorting; infection and death of bowel tissue from decreased blood flow; poor nutrition and weight loss; lung damage from smoking.
Other Health-related
Issues
Pregnancy: premature delivery, low birth weight, deficits in self-regulation and attention in school-aged children prenatally exposed.

Risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from shared needles.

In Combination with
Alcohol
Greater risk of cardiac toxicity than from either drug alone.
Withdrawal
Symptoms
Depression, tiredness, increased appetite, insomnia, vivid unpleasant dreams, slowed movement, restlessness.
Treatment Options
Medications There are no FDA-approved medications to treat cocaine addiction.
Behavioral Therapies
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Contingency management, or motivational incentives, including vouchers
  • The Matrix Model
  • Community-based recovery groups, such as 12-Step programs
  • Mobile medical application: reSET®

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).

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