Cocaine

Quick Facts

What is cocaine?

  • Cocaine is a highly addictive, stimulant (stimulants speed up the body's systems) made from the leaves of the coca plant (Erythroxylon coca), which is native to South America.
  • Cocaine causes intense euphoria (high) and the crash that follows a high is mental and physical exhaustion, sleep, and depression lasting several days.
  • As a street or illegal drug, cocaine is usually a fine, white, crystal powder. Often, it is mixed with other substances and other illegal drugs. Crack cocaine (cocaine base) looks like small, irregularly shaped white rocks. 
  • Repeated use of cocaine can lead to tolerance. At higher doses over time, addiction can occur. Repeated use of cocaine can also lead to overdose. Currently, there is no specific medication to treat a cocaine overdose. Focus is given to treating the specific health problems caused by the overdose. 

What are some street names for cocaine? 

  • Blow, Coca, Coke, Crack, Crank, Flake, Rock, Snow, Soda Cot 

How is cocaine abused?

  • Cocaine is snorted or rubbed into the gums or dissolved in water and then injected. Crack cocaine is smoked. 

What are the short-term effects of cocaine use?

  • Small amounts of cocaine can make people feel extra alert, talkative, and like they have more energy.
  • Short-term physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. 
  • Large amounts of cocaine can make people feel irritable, anxious, restless, and paranoid. They may also experience tremors, vertigo, and muscle twitches. 
  • In some cases, cocaine can cause very serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, or coma. 

What are the long-term effects of cocaine use?

  • Long-term use of snorting cocaine can lead to a loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, nasal damage, and trouble swallowing.
  • Infection and death of bowel tissue can occur from decreased blood flow caused by constricted blood vessels
  • Poor nutrition and weight loss
  • Movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
  • Lung damage can occur from smoking cocaine.  
  • Injecting cocaine with a needle can lead to skin or soft tissue infections, collapsed veins, and puts a person at higher risk of getting diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C. 

Treatment options

  • Currently, there are no FDA-approved medications to treat cocaine addiction. 
  • Yamhill County Substance Use Programs offer a wide array of treatment options and programs for adults and youth, please visit our Alcohol and Drug Treatment page, or call 503-434-7523 for more information.

Sources and Other Resources