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The Truth About Crack Cocaine

Antonella Antonecchia | 01.09.2009 21:22 | Social Struggles

Get the Real Facts about Crack Cocaine.

Crack cocaine is the crystal form of cocaine, which normally comes in a powder form. It comes in solid blocks or crystals varying in color from yellow to pale rose or white.
Crack is heated and smoked. It is so named because it makes a cracking or popping sound when heated.
Crack, the most potent form in which cocaine appears, is also the riskiest. It is between 75% and 100% pure, far stronger and more potent than regular cocaine.
Smoking crack allows it to reach the brain more quickly and thus brings an intense and immediate – but very short-lived – high that lasts about 15 minutes.
Because of cocaine’s high cost, it has been considered a “rich man’s drug”. Crack, on the other hand, is sold at prices so low that even teens can afford to buy it – at first. The truth is that once a person is addicted, the expense skyrockets in direct ratio to the increasing amount needed to support the habit.
In US Federal courts in 2007, 5,477 individuals were found guilty of crack cocaine-related crimes. More than 95% of these offenders had been involved in crack cocaine trafficking. The situation is different in Europe. The European Monitoring Centre on Drugs Addiction reports abuse of crack cocaine is commonly restricted to minority in large cities with high levels of unemployment and poor living conditions.
Crack cocaine is one of the most powerful illegal drugs when it comes to producing psychological dependence. It stimulates key pleasure centers within the brain and causes extremely heightened euphoria. Compulsive crack use develops soon after the person starts using, because the substance is smoked and enters the blood stream rapidly. A tolerance develops quickly.
Mentioned in the book by L. Ron Hubbard, “Clear Body, Clear mind”, drugs are attracted to fat which means when you take drugs such as crack these deposit in the fatty tissue of the body remaining within the body and creating adverse effects even years after you’ve stopped taking drugs.
Smoking crack further presents a series of health risks. Crack is often mixed with other substances that create toxic fumes when burned. As crack smoke doesn’t remain potent for long, crack pipes are generally very short. This often causes cracked and blistered lips, known as “crack lip”, from users having a very hot pipe pressed against their lips.
When teens were surveyed by the foundation for a Drug-Free World, to find out why they started using drugs in the first place, 55% replied that it was due to pressure from their friends. They wanted to be cool and popular. Dealers know this. Drug dealers don’t care if the drugs ruin lives as long as they are getting paid. Former dealers have admitted they saw their buyers as “pawns in a chess game”.
Education is crucial. The Foundation for a Drug-Free World provides free informative booklets on different drugs. Get the facts at www.drugfreeworld.org.

Antonella Antonecchia