Cocaine is a highly addictive and dangerous substance. Although it is also one of the most popular worldwide and one of the most consumed in different countries, such as Spain. The most widespread way of taking it is in powder form or with the well-known “lines of coke,” but there are other methods of drug administration. Today we detail the 5 types of cocaine that currently exist and the effects they cause on the body.
Cocaine is one of the most well-known narcotics among the youth sector of society. Its stimulating effects make it the ideal substance for entertainment and nightlife, as well as recreational activities, empathizing with friends, or interacting with the environment. A fact that has managed to diversify its form of consumption in order to feel all the effects of the drug. Although they coincide in origin, today it is not the same to consume lines of coke as it is to smoke crack, to say something. However, like any other toxic substance, it is a harmful drug that carries serious health dangers.
Cocaine is a stimulant drug that acts directly on the central nervous system and can generate a strong cocaine addiction when consumption is repeated or control over the substance is lost. Therefore, although some people consume cocaine seeking euphoria, confidence, or greater disinhibition, its effects can quickly become harmful. Cocaine produces intense activation of the body, but it can also cause anxiety, irritability, impulsivity, insomnia, and a false sense of control over consumption.
The effects of cocaine depend not only on the type of substance, but also on the route of administration, purity, frequency of consumption, the person’s physical condition, and combination with alcohol or other drugs. As consumption is repeated, the brain may need greater amounts of cocaine to experience similar effects, increasing the risk of cocaine dependence and physical and psychological complications.
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Below, we explain how the way of consuming cocaine can affect people’s health more or less seriously.
How Cocaine Acts on the Body
Cocaine intensely stimulates the brain and body. On the physical level, it can accelerate heart rate, raise blood pressure, and constrict blood vessels, forcing the heart to work harder. This combination increases the risk of suffering serious cardiovascular complications, especially when consumption is repeated, combined with alcohol, or a consumption pattern appears that requires treatment for alcohol and cocaine addiction.
Among the most important risks are chest pain, arrhythmias, heart attack, and stroke. These problems can appear even in young or apparently healthy people, since cocaine affects both the cardiovascular system and brain function. In addition, when consumption is maintained over time, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, exhaustion, mood changes, depressive symptoms, and deterioration of personal relationships may appear.
Types of Cocaine and Their Effects
Depending on the way the drug is consumed, cocaine can be taken in 5 different ways:
- Lines of coke or cocaine powder
- Chinese cigarette
- Cocaine injection
- “Basuco” or coca paste
- Freebase cocaine or crack
Lines of coke or cocaine powder:
This is the traditional method of taking cocaine. Popularly called “lines of coke,” they also refer to it as cocaine hydrochloride, powder, or snow. With this type of drug administration, the addicted person has to snort coke through the nose. By entering through such a moist body cavity, the effects tend to be more intense compared to another route of consumption.
The toxicity of cocaine increases depending on its purity. In the commercialization stage, those responsible may combine it with other harmful chemical substances to health. Depending on the purity of the cocaine, the intensity of the effects will be higher, or it will mix with that of other elements. Some of those most frequently incorporated are amphetamines, chalk, antacid, detergent, speed, painkillers, and talcum powder.
Chinese cigarette:
Smoked coke is another of the types of cocaine that currently exist and carries the popular name of smoking a Chinese. There are several ways to do it, but the most common is moistening a cigarette and spreading a line of coke on the outside. The effect provided is less intense than the previously mentioned form. So it is also common to snort coke while smoking.
Cocaine injection:
After being diluted in water, cocaine can be injected intravenously directly into the addicted individual’s body. This is one of the routes of drug administration with the highest addictive capacity and risk. Both because of the intensity of the effects and the possible side effects that can affect health.
Cocaine detoxification with medical supervision
Since cocaine is injected directly into the bloodstream, its effects reach maximum intensity, although with a very short duration. Consequently, the individual feels the need to re-experience the pleasure that the drug has given them. By suffering this dependence, it is very easy to exceed the limit of the amount of dose administered.
Intravenous consumption is especially dangerous because it introduces the substance directly into the bloodstream. In cases of problematic consumption or loss of control, it may be necessary to initiate a process of cocaine detoxification with professional supervision. This causes the effects to appear very quickly and intensely, but also increases the risk of overdose, infections, vascular damage, and disease transmission if injection materials are shared. In addition, when the effect disappears in a short time, the person may feel an intense need to repeat consumption, entering a cycle of compulsive consumption.
“Basuco” or coca paste:
Of all the types of cocaine that currently exist, this is the one that contains the most names. It is also known as Bazuco and Paco. It is an intermediate form of cocaine hydrochloride that integrates other very harmful chemical compounds. When it contains sulfate, they refer to the substance as cocaine sulfate.
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Among its chemical elements, some of the most important are sulfuric acid, methanol, and kerosene. Coca paste is another of the most dangerous routes of cocaine consumption due to the high risk it carries for health. It is a method of administration with a very high probability of generating addiction in the individual. In addition, it also creates much more harmful physical and psychological effects. By containing cocaine residues, it is a much cheaper substance.
Freebase cocaine or crack:
Also called poor man’s cocaine, it is a mixture of coke along with other chemical products, such as ether, ammonia, and baking soda. It is known by this name for being much more economical in price than traditional cocaine. It is consumed through inhalation. So this type of consumption is usually referred to as smoking crack.
The effects of crack go directly to the brain in a short period of time. They contain a much higher intensity and cause more damage than taking coca paste. Although it is not the method of drug administration that creates the most addiction, it has a higher probability of causing death from excessive consumption.
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Psychological Effects and Associated Behaviors
In addition to its physical effects, cocaine can cause significant behavioral alterations. By acting on the central nervous system, it can generate euphoria, a sense of alertness, hyperactivity, and increased confidence, but also anxiety, irritability, aggression, paranoia, and difficulty assessing risks. In some cases, strange behaviors may appear, such as extreme distrust, persecutory ideas, agitation, impulsivity, or violent conduct. When these symptoms are combined with anxiety, depression, or other mental disorders, it may be necessary to consider a specialized approach to dual pathology.
These changes can intensify when larger amounts of cocaine are consumed, when the person has gone several hours without sleep, or when the substance is mixed with alcohol, cannabis, benzodiazepines, or other drugs. For this reason, not only does the type of cocaine consumed matter, but also the context, frequency, and progressive loss of control.
Profile of the Person Who Consumes According to Types of Cocaine
Taking cocaine is a widespread activity throughout the planet, especially in the western part and in first-world countries. Depending on how the drug is consumed, one can speak of various types of profiles of addicted people.
Consuming cocaine in Europe is linked to people with a medium-high socioeconomic level. Although cocaine is a socially well-recognized narcotic, it is considered an expensive substance. Therefore, the stereotype of a cocaine addict living a normal life is associated with people who consume cocaine hydrochloride.
In other parts of the world or in lower population sections, the other types of cocaine are more visible. Since they contain other harmful chemical substances, they do not have as much purity and end up being more economically affordable.
Is cocaine use starting to affect your life?
If you need to consume to feel good, you are consuming increasingly larger quantities, you have tried to quit without success, or consumption is affecting your health, work, finances, or relationships, it is important to seek professional help.
At CC Adicciones we treat cocaine addiction from a comprehensive approach, combining therapeutic support, family accompaniment, and a personalized plan to reduce the risk of relapses.
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CC Adicciones is an addiction treatment center. Through a strict process that uses addiction therapies, a person can abandon addiction and recover normality in their life. Visit our rehabilitation center and our addiction therapists will help you with your addictive disorder.
At CC Adicciones we treat cocaine addiction from a comprehensive approach, taking into account the personal history, consumption pattern, physical health, mental health, and family environment of each patient. The goal is not only to abandon the substance, but to understand what function consumption fulfills in the person’s life and build real tools to prevent relapses.
If cocaine consumption is affecting your health, your relationships, your work, or your emotional well-being, it is important not to wait for serious consequences to appear. Specialized treatment to quit cocaine can help you regain control and begin a safe process of change, accompanied and adapted to your needs.
