Cocaine is a stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant. It comes in a white powder. It speeds up the messages from your brain to your body and increases your heart and breathing rate. It’s mostly snorted but it can be injected.
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.
EFFECTS:
The effects of cocaine include alertness, feelings of wellbeing and euphoria, and enthusiastic talking.
Cocaine can also cause a loss of appetite and over-confidence which sometimes leads to risk-taking.
The high from cocaine is felt almost immediately and only lasts a little while but the comedown can last days. DURATION
Effects can be felt immediately and last from 45 minutes to an hour and a half. OVERDOSE Vomiting, tremors, irregular breathing, agitation, panic or delirium. An ambulance should be called if any of these symptoms occur.
SOME COMMON HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES
Encourage a young person to: –
Avoid mixing with other drugs especially alcohol
If you have alcohol with cocaine, it can produce a third chemical called cocaethylene, which is really bad for your heart and can even cause a heart attack (watch this video)
Take regular breaks from using
If injecting, use safe injecting practices
Drink water
Plan for the comedown
Have ‘safe’ people to call in case of feelings of paranoia or panic
If you have too much cocaine (overdose) you may experience vomiting, tremors, irregular breathing, agitation or panic. An ambulance should be called if anything like this happens.
This is only a little bit of information check out Harm Reduction Victoria’s fact sheet that has heaps more info.
Or there’s this article from ADF in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers that has more information about cocaine.
Needing more guidance or a secondary consult? Reach out to the YoDAA team for some more nuanced advice.
Get help now
YoDAA is a free and confidential online and phone service that offers supports to young people, families and professionals. You can contact 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday.
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Post excerpt: ut enim blandit volutpat maecenas volutpat blandit aliquam etiam erat velit scelerisque in dictum non consectetur a erat nam at lectus urna duis convallis convallis tellus id interdum…
At the time research undertaken by Dr Bruce Alexander aimed to debunk some of the myths around addiction. Whilst successful in this worthwhile endeavour unintentionally the experiment perpetuated unhelpful stereotypes about the motivation for problematic drug and alcohol use.
At the time research undertaken by Dr Bruce Alexander aimed to debunk some of the myths around addiction. Whilst successful in this worthwhile endeavour unintentionally the experiment perpetuated unhelpful stereotypes…
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The Victorian government has launched “Lookout Centres” across Victoria. These centres are there to help those young people in OOHC and those working with them. They will have access to staff that…
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