Cocaine
Drug: Cocaine
Street names: Coke, Charlie, Snow, Blow, White,
Bugle, Gold Dust, Lady, Nose Candy, Sniff
Similar drugs: Ecstasy, Mephedrone
Drug type: Stimulant
Is Cocaine legal in the UK?
Legal status: Cocaine is a class A
drug. That means you could go to prison for seven years for
possessing it and for life for dealing it.
What is Cocaine & how do people take it?
What is it? Cocaine is a white powder made from the
leaves of the coca plant. You typically snort it, but the powder
can also be made into a solution and injected.
How does cocaine make you feel? - The effects of Cocaine
How it can make you feel: You can feel more
energetic, alert, happy and confident. Cocaine also increases your
heart rate and body temperature, suppresses your appetite and makes
your eyes more sensitive to light. It makes your pupils dilate
too.
The effects of Cocaine kick in very quickly, but
only last for around 20 to 40 minutes.
The risks: Using cocaine can make you have a fit,
stroke or cardiac arrest.
Regularly snorting cocaine can seriously damage
your nasal passage, giving you nosebleeds. It can make you lose
weight too.
The long term effects of Cocaine on your body
The long term effects of Cocaine can include
increased likelihood of experiencing anxiety, paranoia and
depression. If you inject it, you could damage your veins or get a
disease from a dirty needle.
The expense (£30 to £50 a gram), lure and addictive properties
of cocaine can easily lead you into debt.
Mixing cocaine with other drugs, particularly alcohol, is very
dangerous. This is because cocaine masks the effects of alcohol,
meaning you don't feel drunk, so could drink too much and end up
with alcohol poisoning.
If drugs are affecting you negatively and you want help ring
our drug
helpline.
Cocaine image courtesy of Talk to Frank, Crown Copyright.
Cannabis
Crack Cocaine