Cocaine / Crack
Street terms for cocaine:
Blow, Nose Candy, Snowball, Tornado, Wicky Stick
What are the different forms of cocaine?
· White crystalline powder
· "Crack" or "rock" cocaine is an off-white chunky material.
How is cocaine used?
· Powder cocaine is generally snorted or dissolved in water and injected.
· Crack cocaine is usually smoked.
Who uses cocaine?
· Cocaine is the second most commonly used illicit drug in the United States.
· About 10 percent of Americans over the age of 12 have tried cocaine at least once in their lifetime, about 2 percent have tried crack, and nearly one percent is currently using cocaine.
How does cocaine get to the United States?
· The United States-Mexico border is the primary point of entry for cocaine shipments being smuggled into the United States.
· Organized crime groups based in Colombia control the worldwide supply of cocaine.
How much does cocaine cost?
· Cocaine prices depend upon the purity of the product.
· In 2001, cocaine purity declined by 8 percent, from 86 percent pure in 1998 to a 78 percent pure in 2001. The decrease in purity indicates a decrease in the supply of cocaine in the United States.
· Cocaine remained low and stable, which suggests a steady supply to the United States.
· Nationwide, prices ranged from $12,000 to $35,000 per kilogram.
What are some consequences of cocaine use?
· Cocaine is powerfully addictive.
· Smoking crack can cause severe chest pains with lung trauma and bleeding.
· The mixing of cocaine and alcohol create cocaethylene while increasing risk of sudden death.
· Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest.
Source: Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) |
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