Its intense, short-lived high often leads to a dangerous cycle of compulsive use. Most people who use crack cocaine smoke it, which results in a rapid onset of effects, both desired and undesired. The positive effects of happiness and mental alertness may only last five to 10 minutes, which could leave you craving more.

Long-term side effects of cocaine use

More commonly, people use cocaine to boost feelings like being energized, happy and alert. Cocaine is a very addictive substance, meaning people seek out the drug and use it even though they know the choice comes with negative consequences. There are treatments for cocaine use disorder (cocaine addiction), but people often relapse and use it again. A crack overdose is different from overdoses on drugs that are central nervous system (CNS) depressants. CNS depressant drugs, like opioids, alcohol, or barbiturates, can result in slowed breathing and lack of oxygen to the brain, or hypoxia, which can ultimately lead to a coma and death. In contrast, crack cocaine is a stimulant drug, and overdoses can occur at any dose or time while taking the drug.

Terminology

It is permitted for some medical use but is otherwise outlawed. The effects felt almost immediately after inhaled are very intense and do not last long — usually 2 to 10 minutes.30 When smoked, cocaine is sometimes combined with other drugs, such as cannabis, often rolled into a joint or blunt. Crack is typically smoked, which delivers rapid effects to the brain and lungs. Crack is often smoked on its own (freebasing), but drug users have also sprinkled it into marijuana or tobacco before smoking it together. Detoxing from crack cocaine can have very serious side effects without appropriate medical supervision.

The first few hours or days after you stop using can be hard to get through, but if you fight the cravings—and keep off the drug—you’ll soon start to feel better. The cravings to use may be strong at first, but will fade with time. The more you use, the greater the risk—but even taking the same or smaller amounts than you’ve used in the past can have bad effects. It’s not a sign of weakness, bad judgement or other personal characteristics.

In fact, a recent study shows that crack overdose deaths have been steadily increasing over the past several years. From 2019 to 2023, cocaine-related overdoses increased by 85%, reaching 29,449 in 2023. A researcher named Ira Chasnoff in Chicago did one study of a handful of Black mothers who were cocaine users. And what he found after those mothers had given birth was that many of their babies had things like tremors and low birth weight, and they sort of struggled to meet benchmarks in their infancy. And from that, he published a report about cocaine-exposed babies that then launched what became this “crack baby” notion. And lots of reporting was done about these irredeemable babies, mostly Black and Latino children, and how they were going to be a huge weight on society, that they would sort of never be able to come back from what their mothers had done to them.

Crack Cocaine Rehab Programs

• Using cocaine may change how people’s brains work and increase their risk for many serious medical issues.
• “That was reduced to 18-to-1 around 2010. But it still exists. With all that we know about crack, with all the compassion that we have now for addicts, we still haven’t moved far enough to eliminate that disparity entirely.”
• Cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug that’s extracted and processed from coca plant leaves in South America.
• It is practically insoluble in water whereas hydrochloride salt is water-soluble.
• The best way to support someone coping with addiction is to encourage them to find help.

Its initial effect is to release a large amount of dopamine,14 a brain chemical inducing feelings of euphoria. Crack cocaine is a different substance made by mixing powdered cocaine with baking soda, ammonia, and water to form a rock. Even if treatment hasn’t worked for you in the past, it’s worth trying again. Some people try treatment several times before it works, and many need long-term support to stay drug-free. To prevent relapse, avoid all other mood-altering drugs (including alcohol), and continue to meet with your group or counsellor for support, for as long as you need it.

Get Treatment Help Now

Therapy is a major part of treatment and recovery from a crack cocaine addiction. Factors such as the length of time crack cocaine had been used, how much was consumed, whether other drugs were involved, and the individual’s overall health can impact the rehab program that will work best for you or your loved one. Cocaine is derived crack cocaine warning signs from the South American coca plant, whereas crack is cocaine that has been heavily processed with water, ammonia, or baking soda to achieve a freebase form that can be smoked. Crack cocaine is a processed form of cocaine (cocaine hydrochloride) that can be smoked, making it highly addictive and often deadly.

Let’s celebrate the fact that we survived it without a whole lot of intervention from the government and that it was young people who made the decision to not continue the trend. I hadn’t really considered this when I set out to write the book because in my family, drug dealers had really kind of always been villainized, even though I had relatives that sold drugs. Or super predators who were out to get kids hooked on drugs and who were eager to get into gun battles in the middle of streets. But it was really the only way that they could make money in a period where unemployment was so high, and Black youth unemployment was even higher. And anybody that’s been a Black teenager trying to find a job understands just how frustrating that can be. And so a lot of those drugs, cocaine, ended up in the United States.

Cocaine is an addictive stimulant drug that can change lives and be life-threatening. Using cocaine may change how people’s brains work and increase their risk for many serious medical issues. Finding the next high may seem like the most important thing in their lives. But the impact of cocaine use can last for months, years or a lifetime. If you think someone you love is using cocaine, encourage them to seek help. Ask a healthcare provider about programs and services for people affected by another person’s cocaine use.

By 1987, the ER visits had doubled year over year, and crack was available in all but four states in the U.S., making crack easy to come by and extremely dangerous. Recovery from crack abuse is possible, but it depends on many factors, including the patient’s commitment to recovery. Additionally, vaping this drug can lead to acute overdose—especially if you have taken another substance that slows down your metabolism, such as heroin or alcohol.

• CNS depressant drugs, like opioids, alcohol, or barbiturates, can result in slowed breathing and lack of oxygen to the brain, or hypoxia, which can ultimately lead to a coma and death.
• A crack overdose is characterized by cardiovascular and neurological events and other life-threatening effects, as opposed to oversedation from CNS depressants.
• Large amounts may make us feel powerful, euphoric and filled with energy.

Several of the short-term effects of crack abuse can lead to heart attack or stroke. Some crack users take other drugs, such as alcohol or heroin, to counteract certain side effects of crack use. Crack cocaine gets its name from the sound it makes when it is smoked. Just like powdered cocaine, the use of crack cocaine is illegal throughout the United States.

The best way to support someone coping with addiction is to encourage them to find help. It’s also important to remember cocaine use often has a ripple effect, putting stress and strain on relationships. If that’s your situation, consider participating in a support group.