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Cocaine is an addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a powerful nervous system stimulant that increases energy, alertness, and feelings of well-being. It can be used in a number of ways, including smoking, injecting, or snorting.
Cocaine is one of the most commonly abused illegal substances in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) states that cocaine is a Schedule II controlled substance.
According to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2.4 million Americans age 12 and older engage in substance abuse with cocaine in a given year. This means that 1.5 percent of all Americans have fallen into cocaine use at least once in their lives and 0.6 percent have used it in the previous month.
Read on to learn more about the common slang names for cocaine!
Cocaine slang terms are constantly changing and evolving. As time goes by, these street names for cocaine change into new forms to avoid detection. The effects of cocaine or how it looks sometimes lead to the derivation of new slang names for cocaine. Cocaine mixed with other drugs has their own slang names which add to the lexicon.
Several of the more popular nicknames for cocaine are derived from the word itself. These terms are more akin to those used in films and popular culture. It’s not likely a person who wants to hide their usage would employ these:
Effects of cocaine (or coke) are another typical way people refer to the drug in slang. However, instead of the negative effects which might drive away users, these slang names relate to the euphoric or perceived positives of using the substance:
The drug comes from a variety of places, and the locale it comes from or how the drug looks also plays into how it’s referred to in street talk. Cocaine is originally produced from a plant in South America, processed in labs, and shipped into the country.
The list of slang names for cocaine is dwarfed by the list of names when cocaine is combined with other drugs. Mixtures tend to take on their own identity on the streets. Here are a few of the most common:
Cocaine combined with marijuana: Wu-banger (blunt with cocaine), Coolie
Cocaine and PCP: Space Dust, Whack Attack
Cocaine and heroin: The Beach, Belushi’s Choice, Speedball
Cocaine in tobacco: Throat Pleaser, Coke Stick
Cocaine and methamphetamines: Turbo, 2X, XXL
Crack cocaine and fentanyl: Sudden Death, OD Candy
Cocaine is highly addictive. This is the primary reason cocaine addiction is one of the biggest culprits for the current drug abuse problem sweeping the globe. It targets the brain by increasing levels of dopamine, a natural chemical that makes us feel good.
Cocaine also increases norepinephrine levels, which causes a surge in energy and alertness. Over time cocaine becomes less effective at producing these effects, so users take more and more of it to get the same high. Eventually, they need it just to feel normal — and thus begin full-blown cocaine addiction.
Cocaine is often snorted through the nose or dissolved in water and injected into veins. Some people prefer to smoke crack cocaine, but it can be smoked from pipes or cooked into a powdery form called “freebase.”
The two types of cocaine — powdered cocaine and crack cocaine — act in different ways on the brain and cause different physical effects. Both types of cocaine create an intense feeling of euphoria, but crack use can lead to more severe symptoms if you overdose on it.
The consequences of cocaine abuse go beyond drug addiction itself: The drug can affect multiple parts of your body, including your heart muscle, and digestive system. The risk of stroke or heart attack increases dramatically with cocaine use because it increases blood pressure and heart rate. In fact, even one dose may raise your blood pressure dangerously high enough to cause an immediate heart attack or stroke if you have cardiac disease or other risk factors for heart disease (like high cholesterol).
When you take too much cocaine, your heart rate speeds up significantly, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. This condition, called tachycardia, may cause chest pain and tightness in your chest or neck. It may also cause shortness of breath or dizziness because your heart isn’t getting enough oxygen-rich blood.
Cocaine users can sometimes experience respiratory failure because it constricts blood vessels in their lungs, which reduces oxygen flow and can lead to lung collapse.
Cocaine is also a local anesthetic, meaning it numbs the skin and mucous membranes in the mouth and nose when applied externally. The most common effects of cocaine use are:
Cocaine addiction is an incredibly difficult thing to overcome. The truth is whether you’re talking about crack cocaine or other drugs, substance abuse and drug addiction, in general, is no walk in the park. One of the reasons for this is the withdrawal symptoms. When one chooses to try to quit drug use, almost universally, their body will rebel.
Many people who try to quit cocaine find that the cravings are so strong that they go back to using. If you’re planning on quitting, it’s important that you know what to expect and how to cope with the withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal from cocaine occurs when you suddenly stop taking the drug after being dependent on it for some time.
Symptoms of withdrawal from cocaine include the following:
The length of time that you are addicted to cocaine will determine how long it takes for withdrawal symptoms to occur and how severe they will be. The longer you have been addicted, the more severe your withdrawal symptoms will be. Withdrawal can occur within 24 hours after your last dose of cocaine. However, it usually takes longer than this to begin experiencing symptoms.
Symptoms of withdrawal from cocaine can last from one week to several months after your last dose of the drug depending on how long it took you to become addicted and how long you used the drug before stopping completely.
Cocaine addiction is a chronic and potentially fatal disease. The treatment of cocaine addiction is complex and requires a team approach. Treatment options should address the physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and environmental factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of substance use disorders.
Outpatient treatment: Outpatient treatment may be appropriate for people with less severe addictions or those who do not need to receive treatment around-the-clock. Outpatient treatment includes group counseling sessions and individual counseling sessions with a therapist or counselor.
Inpatient treatment: Inpatient treatment may be necessary when an individual has very severe addiction problems or has tried outpatient treatment without success. Inpatient programs provide 24-hour supervision at treatment facilities or treatment centers while providing medical care, behavioral therapy, support groups, family therapy (receiving support from family members can be crucial), and other services designed to help individuals recover from drug abuse.
12-step programs: 12-step programs are mutual aid groups that use the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as guides for recovery from alcohol or drug abuse. Members meet regularly to discuss their experiences with addiction, make amends for previous behavior, take personal inventory, and share their feelings with each other. Participants in 12-step programs learn new skills such as stress management techniques, problem-solving strategies, and conflict resolution skills that can help them remain drug-free.
Medications may be used to help reduce cravings and other withdrawal symptoms during treatment. Medications can also help treat some of the physical and mental health problems associated with cocaine abuse. Examples of medications that may be used include:
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Slang for cocaine is commonly used on the streets and knowing what words are used to refer to this drug helps individuals know whether their loved ones are involved with it. The slang names for drugs tend to change often and being aware of those names may be important to ensure your family is not involved.
It is not unheard of for someone who has only tried the drug once to progress to regular, daily use. Research into the addictive potential of the substance suggests that an individual could potentially become addicted to cocaine after the first use. However, this isn’t a guaranteed outcome.
Cocaine is an insidious drug. While you might think you can tackle substance abuse recovery on your own, it’s a much better option to seek professional help. Detox and rehab centers, especially those staffed by professionals, will help you with your substance abuse recovery every step of the way.
Cocaine addiction treatment differs by facility, but generally, the steps remain similar. A patient first goes through detox, then inpatient recovery or outpatient recovery. Some facilities offer medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and help to support their recovering clients through 12-step programs.
Charles F. has been an active part of the Florida recovery community for over 5 years. He began as a behavioral health technician at an addiction treatment facility in Ocala, Florida and has since begun training as a Licensed Addiction and Chemical Dependency counselor in Boca Raton. Charles’ passion involves the promotion of recovery and helping spread the hope of recovery to as many readers as possible!
