RED RIBBON WEEK: FACTS ABOUT COCAINE AND CRACK COCAINE

Overview: Cocaine abuse has a long, deeply rooted history in U.S. drug
culture, both urban and rural. It is an intense, euphorigenic drug
with strong addictive potential. With the advent of the higher purity
free-base form of cocaine ("crack"), and its easy availability on the
street, cocaine continues to burden both law enforcement and health
care systems in the United States.

COCAINE'S HIGH: The intensity and duration of cocaine's effects --
which include increased energy, reduced fatigue, and mental alertness
- -- depend on the route of drug administration. The faster cocaine is
absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered to the brain, the more
intense the high. Injecting or smoking cocaine produces a quicker,
stronger high than snorting. On the other hand, faster absorption
usually means shorter duration of action: the high from snorting
cocaine may last 15 to 30 minutes, but the high from smoking may last
only 5 to 10 minutes. In order to sustain the high, a cocaine abuser
has to administer the drug again. For this reason, cocaine is
sometimes abused in binges -- taken repeatedly within a relatively
short period of time, at increasingly higher doses. Source: National
Institute on Drug Abuse

Classification: Cocaine is a schedule II substance under the
Controlled Substances Act.

Legal Uses: Cocaine hydrochloride (4 percent and 10 percent) solution
is used primarily as a topical local anesthetic for the upper
respiratory tract. The vasoconstrictor and local anesthetic properties
of cocaine cause anesthesia and mucosal shrinkage. It constricts blood
vessels and reduces blood flow, and is used to reduce bleeding of the
mucous membranes in the mouth, throat, and nasal cavities. However,
better products have been developed for these purposes and cocaine is
rarely used medically in the United States.

Chemistry/Pharmacology: Cocaine is the principal alkaloid in the
leaves of Erythroxylon coca, a shrub indigenous to the Andean region
of South America. Cocaine is an ester of benzoic acid and
methylecgonine. Ecgonine, an amino alcohol, is structurally similar to
atropine and some local anesthetics. Cocaine is a local anesthetic and
a strong central nervous system stimulant which produces intense
euphoria.

Physiological effects of cocaine: Constricted peripheral blood
vessels, dilated pupils, and increased blood pressure and heart rate.
Cocaine also produces restlessness, irritability, and anxiety in some
users. High doses of cocaine or prolonged use can cause paranoia.

Advent of free basing: Inhalation of the vapors of cocaine base
(crack), known as "basing" or "free basing," became a popular practice
in the 1980s because of its rapid onset of action (7-10 seconds), ease
of repeat administration, and an unwarranted belief by users that
smoking cocaine was less harmful and less likely to produce addiction
than injecting cocaine. Smoking cocaine base produces a sudden and
intense "rush" with an equally intense "high" or euphoria lasting from
2 to 20 minutes. Tolerance develops to the euphoric effects of
cocaine. Source: Drug Enforcement Administration

TWO FORMS OF COCAINE: Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant
drug. The powdered hydrochloride salt form of cocaine can be snorted
or dissolved in water and then injected. Crack is the street name
given to the form of cocaine that has been processed to make a rock
crystal, which, when heated, produces vapors that are smoked. The term
"crack" refers to the crackling sound produced by the rock as it is
heated. Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse

HOW COCAINE IS ABUSED: Snorting is the process of inhaling cocaine
powder through the nose, where it is absorbed into the bloodstream
through the nasal tissues. Injecting is the use of a needle to insert
the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling
cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs, where absorption into the
bloodstream is as rapid as it is by injection. Source: National
Institute on Drug Abuse

COCAINE-RELATED DEATHS: The deaths of the following people have been
linked to cocaine use: Len Bias, first pick of the 1986 NBA draft,
died 1986 Don Rogers, Cleveland Browns safety, died 1986 Gino
Hernandez, professional wrestler, died 1986 Patrick Bissell, ballet
dancer, died 1987 David Croudip, Atlanta Falcons cornerback, died 1988
David Ruffin, former Temptations lead singer, died 1991 River Phoenix,
film actor, died 1993 Shannon Hoon, lead singer of Blind Melon, died
1995 Chris Farley, comedian and actor, died 1997 Darrell Porter, major
league catcher, died 2002 Trevor Goddard, "JAG" actor, died 2003 Bobby
Hatfield, Righteous Brothers singer, died 2003 Mitch Hedberg, stand-up
comedian, died 2005 Jay Reatard, Memphis musician, died 2010 Source:
Wikipedia

PROTECTING YOUR CHILDREN: Children are much more vulnerable to drugs
and other risky behavior when they move from elementary school to
middle school. Here are some ways parents can help protect them:
Arrange for your child to be engaged in activities from 3 to 5 p.m.
Keep tabs on our your children if they are unattended after school.
Get to know the parents of your child's friends. Call parents whose
home is to be used for a party. Make it easy for your child to leave a
place where substances are being used. Set curfews and enforce them.
Encourage open dialogue with your children about their experiences.
Source: U.S. Department of Education