What is crack cocaine? What does it look like? What are the risks? Crack cocaine is a highly addictive Crack typically is available as rocks. Cocaine, in any form, is a powerfully and powerful stimulant that is derived Crack rocks are white (or off-white) and addictive drug, and addiction seems to from powdered cocaine using a simple vary in size and shape. develop more quickly when the drug is conversion process. Crack emerged as smoked—as crack is—than snorted—as a drug of abuse in the mid-1980s. It is How is crack abused? powdered cocaine typically is. abused because it produces an imme- In addition to the usual risks associ- diate high and because it is easy and Crack is nearly always smoked. Smoking crack cocaine delivers large ated with cocaine use (constricted inexpensive to produce—rendering it blood vessels; increased temperature, readily available and affordable. quantities of the drug to the lungs, producing an immediate and intense heart rate, and blood pressure; and euphoric effect. risk of cardiac arrest and seizure), How is it produced? crack users may experience acute Crack is produced by dissolving Who uses crack? respiratory problems, including cough- powdered cocaine in a mixture of ing, shortness of breath, and lung water and ammonia or sodium bicar- Individuals of all ages use crack trauma and bleeding. Crack cocaine bonate (baking soda). The mixture is cocaine—data reported in the National smoking also can cause aggressive and boiled until a solid substance forms. Household Survey on Drug Abuse paranoid behavior. The solid is removed from the liquid, indicate that an estimated 6,222,000 dried, and then broken into the U.S. residents aged 12 and older used Street Terms for Crack Cocaine crack at least once in their lifetime. The chunks (rocks) that are sold as crack 24-7 Hard ball cocaine. survey also revealed that hundreds of thousands of teenagers and young Badrock Hard rock adults use crack cocaine—150,000 Beat Hotcakes individuals aged 12 to 17 and Candy Ice cube 1,003,000 individuals aged 18 to 25 Chemical Jelly beans used the drug at least once. Cloud Nuggets Paste Crack cocaine use among high school Cookies students is a particular problem. Nearly Crumbs Piece 4 percent of high school seniors in the Crunch & munch Prime time United States used the drug at least Devil drug Product once in their lifetime, and more than Dice Raw 1 percent used the drug in the past Electric kool-aid Rock(s) month, according to the University of Fat bags Scrabble Michigan’s Monitoring the Future French fries Sleet NDIC. Courtesy of City of Johnstown (PA) Police Department Survey. Glo Snow coke Gravel Tornado Grit Troop Hail Other products of interest: , CCrraacckk Huffing—The Abuse of Inhalants , Prescription Drug Abuse and Youth , Drugs, Youth, and the Internet CCooccaaiinnee A E D Fast Facts Is crack cocaine illegal? For more information on illicit drugs Yes, crack cocaine is illegal. check out our web site at: Crack cocaine is a Schedule II substance under the Controlled www.usdoj.gov/ndic Substances Act. Schedule II drugs, which include PCP and metham- phetamine, have a high potential for abuse. Abuse of these drugs may lead to severe psychological or National Drug Intelligence Center physical dependence. 319 Washington Street, 5th Floor Johnstown, PA 15901-1622 Check out Fast Facts on: Telephone: 814-532-4601 FAX: 814-532-4690 , Crystal methamphetamine NDIC Washington Liaison Office , GHB and analogs , 8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1001 , Heroin McLean, VA 22102-3840 , Inhalants Telephone: 703-556-8970 , Jimsonweed FAX: 703-556-7807 QuestionsQuestions Ketamine NDIC publications are available on the following web sites: , Khat , ADNET http://ndicosa andand , LSD LEO home.leo.gov/lesig/ndic , Marijuana RISS ndic.riss.net MDMA INTERNET www.usdoj.gov/ndic AnswersAnswers , Methamphetamine , PCP Call 814-532-4541 , Powdered cocaine to request NDIC products National Drug Intelligence Center , Prescription drugs a component of the , 3 U.S. Department of Justice NDIC Product No. 2003-L0559-005 0 Yaba 5 Background photo © John Foxx Images 1 5 Cover photo: NDIC. Courtesy of City of Johnstown (PA) Police Department 0.