Cocaine is extracted from the leaves of the coca bush.  Cocaine and crack cocaine are powerful and extremely addictive drugs. Cocaine is primarily grown in Columbia, Peru and Bolivia South America. Cocaine is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has a very high potential for abuse and addiction. There are two primary forms of cocaine. One is the powdery type. It is used for snorting up the nose. The second is freebase, better known as crack cocaine, used for smoking. A small percentage of cocaine addiction is done intravenously. When cocaine is snorted, the cocaine powder gets inhaled up into the nose where it is readily absorbed into the bloodstream. Once cocaine reaches the brain, dopamine gets released, stimulating pleasurable feelings. Because it is a stimulant, cocaine has always been a major party drug. Cocaine is easy dealt on the streets because it is sold in small packets.

Crack cocaine, known as crack, is the term for the smokable form of cocaine. Crack is the street name given to the form of cocaine that has been processed into a smokable substance. Smoking crack cocaine delivers large quantities of the drug to the lungs, producing an immediate and intense euphoric feeling. The rush, or high is usually very intense, but does not last very long. The rocks of crack cocaine are ignited in a crack pipe and the ensuing vapors get deeply inhaled. Crack cocaine emerged as a major drug of abuse in the past twenty to twenty-five years. The term crack refers to the popping sound heard when it is heated. Cocaine addiction or crack cocaine addiction is usually identified with a person who is compulsively seeking and using cocaine or crack cocaine, despite the negative consequences. The physical signs of cocaine abuse can vary, depending on the person. For one, cocaine acts as an appetite suppressant so cocaine abusers often aren't hungry and end up losing considerable amounts of weight. Cocaine addicts often go on binges, sometimes for several days. The path to cocaine addiction can begin with occasional use only at parties. Over time, a person's ability to choose not to take the drug gradually erodes. Cocaine or crack cocaine addiction becomes compulsive and addictive because of the ensuing pleasurable feelings.

Cocaine Related Press Releases from the  D.E.A.