Cocaine

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that can produce alertness, energy and euphoria while also increasing cardiovascular, neurological and psychiatric risk. Its rapid effects and relatively short duration can contribute to repeated use, craving and loss of control.

Cocaine and crack are different forms of the same drug. What changes is mainly how the cocaine is prepared and taken, which can alter how quickly its effects arrive and how long they last.

Cocaine can produce energy, confidence, alertness and euphoria, but it also puts the cardiovascular and nervous systems under considerable strain. Serious problems such as abnormal heart rhythms, heart attack, stroke or seizures can occur even in people who do not have a long history of cocaine use.

Its rewarding effects can also fade relatively quickly. For some people, that creates a strong pull to use again before the previous experience has fully passed, contributing to repeated dosing or binge patterns.

Illicit supply introduces additional uncertainty. Cocaine may be combined with other substances deliberately or without the person knowing. In some drug markets, fentanyl has been detected in cocaine, creating an opioid-overdose risk that may not be obvious from the stimulant effects someone expected.

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