Crack is one of the most addictive illegal substances on the street. Laboratory tests have shown that a monkey will press a bar more than 12,000 times to get a tiny bit of cocaine. Then, upon receiving the cocaine, the monkey will immediately begin pressing the bar again to get more. This provides some insight into just how addictive cocaine can be. It causes an increase in violence and criminal acts as people become desperate for more of the drug, any way they can get it.

In 2005, 7.9 million Americans ages 12 and older reported having used crack cocaine, which is the crystallized rock form of powder cocaine. Cocaine is a highly addictive drug that fuels a $35 billion industry, now the most profitable exported product for the country of Colombia. Because crack is smoked, the high is more immediate and intense, though lasting only 5 to 10 minutes instead of the high of up to 30 minutes that can come from snorting or injecting powder cocaine.

Crack is a stimulant that, when abused, can lead to paranoia, delusional thinking and hyperactive, highly aggressive and violent behavior. It can even trigger psychosis resembling schizophrenia, with hallucinations. The advent of the more affordable crack cocaine has driven the drug into poorer neighborhoods. Cocaine, once known as “a rich man’s drug” because of its expensive cost, is now freely available amongst all economic stratas. It is also more affordable for teenagers, and children as young as 12 have called drug prevention hotlines in desperation over crack abuse.

The body’s demand for crack will grow in accordance with the length of the addiction. As the body becomes tolerant to any drug – something that happens quite quickly with crack – users will begin taking larger amounts of the drug, more frequently. Thus, the expense of the habit may become astronomical, despite how seemingly affordable it may be initially. A crack addiction becomes all-consuming and renders a person completely unemployable. Even if they could find money, crack addicts would forget to pay the bills and spend all their money on crack instead. It is a drug that will completely destroy a person’s life and cause broken relationships, homelessness, unemployment, poverty, sickness, disease and ultimately death.

Crack addictions can turn into addictions to other substances like PCP or the highly destructive methamphetamine. These drugs not only mess with the user’s mind, but also create a whole host of physical problems. In the case of crack, those physical problems are largely in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Treatment and recovery from a crack cocaine addiction is possible, but the length of treatment will vary depending on circumstances like the duration of the addiction and whether other addictions or mental issues have developed. Many drug rehab facilities specialize in – or at least employ specialists in – treatment of this particular type of drug. It is a dangerous one not only because of what it does to users, but what it can cause users to do to others.

Crack is a very dangerous drug because it is extremely addictive and causes aggression and violent tendencies in users. Crack is the rock-like form of cocaine, formed after the powder is cooked down into white or off-white colored hard chunks. The drug is typically smoked in a crack pipe. That’s one difference from powder cocaine, which is usually snorted or, less commonly, dissolved into liquid and injected. Because the smoking method is used with crack cocaine, large amounts of the drug go to the user’s lungs. This means the “high,” or euphoric feeling, created by crack is much quicker and more intense than that created by its powder counterpart. This makes crack considerably more addictive, with dependency developing after a very short period of use.

Of course crack is very destructive on the quality of its users’ life and health. However, the user is not the only one whose health can be affected. Crack can also have a detrimental effect on the health of a pregnant woman’s baby, if she is so addicted that she cannot stop using crack while carrying the child.

The risks to the infant include:

• More still births, premature births and miscarriages
• Seizures or strokes
• Cerebral Palsy
• Mental retardation
• Deficiencies in sight or hearing abilities
• Urinary tract diseases
• Autism
• Learning disabilities

Mothers who choose to smoke crack while their babies are in the womb also cause their child to become addicted. This subjects the child to a painful withdrawal period, something no infant should have to endure in the first few days of life.
The effects of crack cocaine on an infant are completely reversible with early intervention. However, should that child remain in the parent’s care and the parent continues using crack, the child is statistically more likely to grow up neglected or abused and develop a host of emotional and mental issues.

As far as crack’s effect on actual users, there are a multitude of ways it can affect the body negatively. The intense high created by the drug lasts between five and seven minutes, and is followed by an equally intense “low” that involves strong feelings of depression, worthlessness and despair. This leads to the need for more of the drug to rid oneself of the low feeling, which turns into complete addiction before long. A crack addiction renders a person unemployable, so violence and criminal acts are resorted to as a means of getting the money to find more drugs. In some cases, criminal acts may be exchanged for drugs and money is taken out of the equation altogether.

Crack users might experience a schizophrenic-like psychosis with delusions and hallucinations. Crack users are also at greater risk of heart attack, stroke or severe weight loss. The early effects of crack use include chronic sore throat, hoarseness, and shortness of breath. However, in the long-term, convulsions and spasms can occur in the legs and arm as a result of muscle contractions caused by the drug. Crack can also increase heart rate by about 50 percent, increase blood pressure and ultimately lead to death.

Practically any use of crack cocaine could be considered crack abuse, because it is a very harmful drug with no legitimate purpose. It is the rock-like form of cocaine powder; the powder is cooked until it becomes a white or off-white hard chunk. Crack abuse typically involves smoking the crack rock in a pipe, which delivers a large amount of the drug to the lungs. It creates an intense, instantaneous and very addictive “high,” or feeling of euphoria. Addiction seems to form quicker in most users when the drug is smoked as a rock instead of snorted in its powder form.

Cocaine in all forms hit the height of its popularity in the 1980’s. Although it is now primarily a fast, relatively cheap street drug, in the 80’s it was used by everyone from junkies to Wall Street professionals. Nearly 8 million people reported using crack, as of 2005, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Another survey from a couple years earlier revealed that hundreds of thousands of teenagers and young adults use crack cocaine. About 150,000 people between the ages of 12 and 17 reported using the drug at least once, and slightly more than 1 million people between the ages of 18 to 25 reported using the drug at least once.

Crack cocaine is illegal, a schedule II substance under federal law. Abuse or even possession of this drug carries a pretty hefty penalty in the U.S. legal system, but selling the drug to others carries an even bigger penalty. Abuse of the drugs in the schedule II category – drugs like cocaine, PCP and methamphetamine – can lead to an incredibly strong psychological and physical dependence and addiction. In street lingo, crack cocaine is also known by slang names like “hard ball,” “candy” and “24-7” because of the drug’s energizing effect that triggers insomnia.

Crack abuse creates a downward spiral of desperation and hopelessness. It is a money-sucking habit that leaves little room in one’s life for anything else. Crack abuse can make a person feel invincible and thus lead them to make incredibly self-destructive choices in life. After an addiction to crack is formed, a person will have little time or energy to focus on much else in life. When they are not high off the effects of smoking crack, they will be working to obtain more of the drug. It is a sad and vicious cycle that sets a person on a path of destruction that only has a dead end.

Crack abuse can create an addiction so strong that a person loses all regard for their friends, family and other loved ones. There can be many hurt feelings and burnt bridges that need mending if a person decides to seek treatment for their crack addiction. Drug rehab can help a person get the help they need to create the healthy and productive life they deserve. Drug rehab will involve facing all the messy issues that were created during the addiction period, as well as any messy issues from the past that may have contributed to the addiction in the first place. Stopping the addiction and facing the issues takes courage, but it can be done.

Cocaine is a drug that creates a quick and powerful high, a boost in mental alertness and energy. It is highly addictive and dangerous, because it has the tendency to create violent tendencies in its users. As the body becomes more normalized, or tolerant, to the effects of the cocaine, users may want to “chase the high.” This can lead them to try larger doses, more frequent usage or even more dangerous drugs like crystal meth. Over a long period of time, severe coronary, vascular and respiratory problems can occur as a result of cocaine use. In fact, deaths related to cocaine overdose usually involve heart attacks, seizures, respiratory failure or heart disease.

As the craving for cocaine grows, a person may need money to supply the habit. This will lead them to steal money from friends or family or even from the workplace. It may also lead to cocaine trafficking, which involves selling cocaine to other users. This is an offense that carries a stiffer penalty in the U.S. legal system. Cocaine comes in a powder form or rock form, known as crack cocaine. The drug reached the height of its popularity in the 1980’s, when it was used by everyone from Wall Street businessmen to street corner junkies. Now, it is largely relegated to street use, and there is a large trafficking industry amongst South, Central and North America. The following are some additional cocaine facts:

• 33.7 million Americans ages 12 and older reported having used cocaine at least once in their lifetime, as of 2005.*
• 7.9 million people reported using crack, as of 2005.
• About 872,000 people reported using cocaine for the first time in 2005.
• Adults ages 18 to 25 are the most likely to use cocaine.
• The average age of first use is 19.7 years old.
• Men are more likely than women to use cocaine.
• Among youth ages 12 to 17, about 2.3 percent reported having tried cocaine at least once, as of 2005.
• Among adults ages 18 to 25, about 15.1 percent reported having tried cocaine at least once, as of 2005.
• Cocaine is a fast-acting and relatively inexpensive drug, which explains its popularity.

In the 18th century and early 19th century, the extract of coca leaves (essentially cocaine) was widely used by surgeons as a local anesthetic for surgery patients and also as an ingredient in the syrup of the new soft drink Coca-Cola. Of course, usage soon stopped when the full effects of the substance became known and safer drugs were developed.

Of approximately 108 million visits to the emergency room in America during 2005, an estimated 448,481 incidents were related to cocaine, according to Drug Abuse Warning Network statistics.

There were 12,166 charges filed at the federal level in FY2004 that were related to cocaine.

There were 11,464 people federally sentenced in FY2006 for charges related to cocaine, in either its powder or rock form.

* - Source: 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Cocaine is currently one of the most prevalent illegal drugs in the United States, second only to marijuana. In fact, cocaine is so addictive that some lab studies have shown that animals will choose cocaine over food or water. The animals who were tested also accepted cocaine even though they knew they would be punished, and they even pressed a bar over 10,000 times for a single injection of cocaine. This behavior is highly indicative of what humans will do when they are addicted to cocaine, which explains why treatment for this particular drug addiction is so complex.
The first step in recovery from cocaine use is detox. This is a highly unpleasant experience, simply because the body is ridding itself of the drug and all related toxicities, something that can cause great discomfort. Withdrawal symptoms begin during this time and may last a few days to a few weeks, depending on the person. Withdrawal symptoms can be quite severe, so detox should always be presided over by a licensed medical professional.

Cocaine withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Agitation
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Extreme fatigue
• Extreme irritability
• Apathy
• Nausea and vomiting
• Shaking
• Muscle pain
• Insomnia

As with treatment of any other drug, cocaine addiction treatment will involve drug rehab, many support meetings with other recovering addicts, individual and family counseling sessions, group therapy, and extracurricular activities to keep the recovering addict busy and distracted. Mentally demanding tasks are important to stimulate the brain during recovery from addiction to cocaine, because prolonged use of the drug has a drastic effect on the mind’s ability to function normally. Full mental capabilities may never be regained, especially in the area of short-term memory and attention span. To work through the ongoing issues that can arise after a cocaine addiction, it is a good idea to continue counseling and therapy long-term, even after release from a drug rehab facility. Cocaine is a drug that creates hostility and aggression in many of its users. This can lead to many hurt feelings and broken relationships. If this pattern of angry, aggressive behavior has been established, anger management classes may be needed, as well as family therapy to work through any damage done by the drug addiction.

Behavioral changes are really the most effective solution for many drug addictions, including cocaine. That means a change in friends, a change in jobs, learning alternative coping methods and even adopting different social activities. Adopting a healthier lifestyle, avoiding old activities that were previously associated with cocaine use and avoiding old stresses on the job or life in general may be the only way to leave drugs behind for good. It is also a good way to escape situations where the recovering addict has been previously “branded” as a drug user because of their past behavior. The fellow recovering addicts met in drug rehab will ideally help create a new community of friends who are healthy, supportive and encouraging.

The physical effects of cocaine use can be quite severe. Each person reacts differently, but one use can have a quite severe, though brief, effect on the body. The short-term effects of cocaine use are not always very harmful, but can include serious bodily damage or even death in some cases. A cocaine-related death usually involves something like seizures or sudden heart or respiratory problems. The severity of the effects depends largely on whether the person’s cocaine use was short-term or long-term. Long-term use, with increased dosage amounts and increased dependency on the drug, can really wreak havoc on the body and mind.

In the short-term, cocaine use can cause an increase in blood pressure, energy, heart rate, mental alertness and body temperature, and a decrease in appetite. It can also cause constricted blood vessels and dilated pupils. The short-term effects of cocaine for people who use it for the first time include an increase in energy, heart rate and blood pressure, and a decrease in appetite. The decreased appetite while everything else in the body is getting faster explains why cocaine users lose an incredible amount of weight quite quickly. Many cocaine users can go several days on end without eating.

The weight loss factor is why the drug is so popular in the worlds of fashion, Hollywood and rock and roll. Other cocaine users may begin using the drug because of the feeling of increased energy for long periods of time. It is a quick and powerful energy boost that enables people to work harder for longer periods of time. It makes people more durable at work, sporting competitions or other physical activities. These results seem positive at first and can be very enticing, but prolonged cocaine use leads to the need for greater amounts of the drug, more often. This affects a person’s judgment in life and leads them down a dangerous road.

In the long-term, the body becomes tolerant to the effects of the cocaine and that “high” feeling becomes more elusive. Thus an addiction forms as users pursue that feeling that was once so much easier to obtain. Cocaine can cause considerable health problems long-term, including heart disease, a heart attack, respiratory failure, a stroke, seizures, or gastrointestinal problems. It effects a person’s sexual functioning and reproductive abilities. It can cause nausea, blurred vision, chest pain, fever, muscle spasms and coma. It can also cause violent mood swings, hallucinations, restlessness, insomnia, extreme irritability and paranoia.

Ultimately, cocaine can be a very dangerous, violent drug. An addict will begin demonstrating some very strange behavior. The need for more cocaine can lead to lying or failing to meet basic life obligations like work or school attendance. It can even lead a person to embezzle from their workplace, rob a business or individual or even steal money from a friend or family. Eventually, cocaine addiction can lead to the complete alienation of anyone who ever truly cared about the addict. It is a tough way to live, but recovery from cocaine addiction is possible with drug rehab.

Cocaine, a fast-acting drug, is one of the most addictive stimulants around. It creates a high that appears quickly and lasts a relatively short time. Cocaine can come in various forms, like powder or rock, also known as crack cocaine. The 1980’s and 1990’s saw cocaine at the height of its popularity in America, with prominent usage among Wall Street businessmen and street junkies alike. Actual use of cocaine goes back much further than that, however.

Its origins are in the extract of coca leaves from a coca bush, which is found mostly in Peru and Bolivia. Coca leaf extract was one of the original ingredients in the syrup used for Coca-Cola in the late 19th Century. During this time, many surgeons were commonly using coca leaf extract as a local anesthetic for patients. At that time, little was known about any negative effects of cocaine. The widespread use of coca leaf extract – including that by the Coca-Cola company – soon ceased as a storm of controversy began brewing over the suspected damaging effects of cocaine.

Today, cocaine is a relatively inexpensive street drug, often diluted with other substances of similar appearance like cornstarch or sugar. “Pure” cocaine is often trafficked into the United States nowadays in large shipments from Central and South America. The hydrochloride salt version of the drug is in powder form. It is typically snorted through the nose or dissolved in liquid and shot into the veins with a needle. The rock form of cocaine is also known as “crack,” and is typically smoked. Crack cocaine is essentially powder cocaine boiled down to a hard substance.

As of 2005, the estimated number of people who used cocaine at least once in their lifetime stood at 33.7 million Americans, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The study also stated that the number of people reporting at least one-time crack cocaine use stood at about 7.9 million.

Cocaine creates aggression in many people. It is evidenced by a chronically runny nose, weight loss, jumpiness, nervousness, fast talking, odd behavior, and sometimes angry outbursts, to name a few of the symptoms. A person who uses the drug is putting stress on their circulatory system and their blood pressure. Long-term use of cocaine can cause damage to a person’s internal organs, a decrease in sexual functioning and reproductive abilities, and ultimately, sudden death.

Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant that has a direct effect on the brain by increasing the amounts of dopamine going to the brain. This creates a feeling of euphoria during the high and a feeling of withdrawal after the drug has worn off. This creates a craving for more cocaine – a craving that will cause addicts to do any number of things to get more of the drug. Cocaine addiction is very difficult to quit, especially for those users who become severely addicted. A stay in a drug rehab facility is highly recommended in quitting this addiction.

Chronic relapse is a cycle of achieving drug or alcohol recovery only to slide back into the old habits and lifestyle. It is typically associated with repeated periods of repentance, regret, guilt, self-loathing and a renewed sense of determination to be stronger going forward. In reality, no matter the recovering addict’s perception, they are not a bad person because they are experiencing chronic relapse. It only means that some things may need to change with the next attempt at drug rehab because the former recovery methods may not have worked for their individual personality and situation.

A recovering addict who is experiencing chronic relapse may need to reside in a treatment facility a bit longer. They may simply need more intensive counseling, therapy, encouragement, and especially more preparation for coping with “real world” pressures while sober without turning to drug or drink. It is also possible that a person did not use the services available at an drug rehab facility, but instead tried to quit on their own initiative. Addiction treatment facilities are helpful for a variety of reasons, so their services should be seriously considered. Ultimately, chronic relapse could be viewed as a stepping stone in the journey of addiction recovery. Each relapse experience should be reflected upon and used as a learning tool.

Scientists have not been able to pinpoint what causes chronic relapse; it is different for everyone. Chronic relapse does appear to be caused by a very complex mix of psychological, emotional, physical, behavioral and environmental factors. There are, however, several things a person can do to try to remove themselves from temptation. Identifying and honestly working through the issues that contributed to the addiction is one way to lessen the risk of chronic relapse. Because boredom is a common cause of addiction, it is a good idea for recovering addicts to remain busy after drug rehab with positive activities like exercise, volunteer work or a part-time job.

It is important for recovering addicts to understand from the start that chronic relapse is a possibility. Holding onto any other belief is potentially setting oneself up for disappointment and failure. A recovering addict is made stronger by honestly admitting his or her own vulnerability. It is important to note that regular attendance at therapy and counseling sessions and group support meetings have been linked to a drastic decrease in chronic relapse. These meetings and sessions offer the support, encouragement, validation and accountability that a recovering addict needs. It is also important to change friends, social hangouts, and anything else associated with the old lifestyle of substance abuse and addiction.

So even if a recovering addict slips up once or twice, a fresh start may be made. The recovering addict may need a little extra help after a relapse, however, because the journey back to a healthy lifestyle will be twice as hard each time. Sticking to basic lifestyle changes – like a new circle of friends and regular attendance at support meetings – can help keep one slip-up from becoming chronic relapse.