Crack cocaine

Crack Cocaine

Crack cocaine (pronounced: /kræk koʊˈkeɪn/), often simply referred to as crack, is a free base form of cocaine that can be smoked. Crack offers a short, intense high to smokers. The Manual of Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment calls it the most addictive form of cocaine.

Etymology

The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked (heated), presumably from the sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) that is used in the cocaine conversion process.

Production and Use

Crack cocaine is frequently purchased already in rock form, although it is not uncommon for some users to "wash up" or "cook" powder cocaine into crack themselves. This process is frequently done with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), water, and a spoon. Once mixed and heated, the bicarbonate reacts with the hydrochloride of the powder cocaine, forming free base cocaine and carbonic acid (H2CO3) in a reversible acid-base reaction. The heating accelerates the degradation of carbonic acid into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. Loss of CO2 prevents the reaction from reversing back to cocaine hydrochloride.

Health Risks

Crack cocaine smoking can cause a variety of health problems including lung damage, heart attacks, and mental disorders. Long-term effects of crack cocaine use include severe damage to the heart, liver and kidneys. Users are more likely to have infectious diseases.

Related Terms

• Cocaine
• Freebase
• Substance Abuse
• Addiction
• Drug Rehabilitation

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Crack cocaine
• Wikipedia's article - Crack cocaine

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