Cocaine is an illegal stimulant produced from the leaves of the coca plant. It is usually grown and processed illegally overseas.
OTHER NAMES:
C, coke, nose candy, snow, rack, white lady, toot, Charlie, blow, white dust, pebbles, Chang and stardust. Freebase is known as base. Crack is referred to as rock or wash.
UNDERSTANDING:
Cocaine causes a burst of alertness, feelings of wellbeing, euphoria and enthusiastic talking. Other signs that someone has recently used this drug could be heightened arrogance, aggressiveness and over-confidence leading to careless risks.
Cocaine is extremely fast acting with the high felt almost immediately and wearing off after 10-30 minutes however the ‘come down’ can leave someone with strong cravings, headache and tiredness for up to 2 days. Cocaine is most commonly sold in powdered form and snorted from a flat surface although it can be smoked in a pipe or over a piece of foil or injected.
Regularly snorting any drug can cause bleeding and irritation of the nostrils.
HOW TO SUPPORT A YOUNG PERSON:
Due to the high cost of cocaine and the length of the high (less than 30 minutes) cocaine is not the drug of choice for most school students but if used may temporarily increase alertness and focus. In contrast, a young person who has used cocaine outside of school hours may find it difficult to concentrate and may be feeling flat in the days following use.
For a more comprehensive guide, we recommend the ADF’s fact sheet and Harm Reduction Victoria’s fact sheet.
Taking the time to understand how to support a student is important. YoDAA can help navigate this with you.
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YoDAA is a free and confidential online and phone service that offers supports to young people, families and professionals. You can contact us 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday.
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