This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

How cocaine is abused

Authoring team

  • Dabbing: Cocaine can be rubbed on to the gums
    • is a local anaesthetic and the effects are similar but enhanced in comparison to chewing the coca leaf

  • Snorting: Cocaine is most commonly snorted in its hydrochloride powder form

  • Piping: Crack is most commonly smoked through a pipe
    • the quickest way to get the drug to the brain. Glass pipes, tin cans and water bottles are used

  • Injecting: Cocaine hydrochloride is soluble in water and can be injected
    • crack or freebase must be reconverted to a salt to become soluble and capable of injection using citric or ascorbic acid. The effects are very slightly less euphoric though slightly longer lasting than piping

  • Chasing: Crack can be chased on tin foil with heat applied from below, in the same way as heroin. Rocks are crushed to increase surface area

  • Smoking/chipping: involves flaking bits of cocaine or crack into the top of a cigarette ‘joint’ and typically occurs in lower dose use

Reference:


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.