Crack

Matt Moffitt
Dr. Ibarra, Section: 007

What is crack?
Crack

is generally referred to
as crack cocaine because it is
the crystal form of cocaine,
which usually comes in a
powder form.

What does it look like?

Crack

comes in solid rocks, also

known as crystals .

These

crystals usually are yellow,

pale rose, or white colored which
helps them to be identified.

How does cocaine effect the

brain?
It

enters the brain and attaches to

structures that regulate dopamine,
thereby producing euphoria.
However, it also produces changes in
norepinephrine and glutamate
receptors, which are the sources of
its stimulant effects. It blocks
norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine
and other neurotransmitters from
being reabsorbed.

Crack vs. Cocaine

Crack

is the most potent form of

cocaine, which makes it more risky
than normal cocaine as well.
Crack is generally 75%-100% pure
making it the riskiest form of cocaine
also.
Crack is highly more addictive than
normal cocaine because it is smoked
rather than snorted.

How its used

Crack
When

is heated and smoked.

smoking crack, the user first puts it into a

small glass pipe, which is also referred to as a
straight shooter. They then place a small piece
of a steel wool at one end of the pipe tube and
put the rock on the other side. This serves as a
filter preventing the crack to directly enter the
mouth of the person. It is then heated from
below, which produces a vapor, or smoke. The
user then inhales this vapor into their lungs,
which then sends it to the brain.

Acute Effects
Loss

of appetite
Increased heart rate
Dilated pupils
Intense euphoria
Anxiety and paranoia
Depression
Panic and psychosis
Convulsions, seizures, and death
from high doses

Chronic Effects
Liver,

kidney, and lung damage

Severe chest pains
Respiratory failure
Severe tooth decay
Auditory and tactile hallucinations
Irritability and mood disturbances
Severe depression
Tolerance and addiction
Malnutrition and weight loss

Cost
Usually

sold by the rock or ounce

rock can be sold for as low as $3

and as high as $50

The

average price for a rock is $10-

$20
An

ounce costs from $500-800 on

average

Street names
Apple

Jacks

Beat
Candy
Cookies
Crunch

and munch
Electric kool-aid
Ice cube
Hardball
Kryptonite
Rox/Roxanne

 Jay-Z

has a net worth of $560 million

He started selling crack in the 1980s as a
teenager
I know about budgets. I was a drug
dealer," he says. "To be in a drug deal, you
need to know what you can spend, what
you need to re-up. At some point, you
have to have an exit strategy, because
your window is very small; you're going to
get locked up or you're going to die."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=AWAnr5V70qw

Recovery Programs
It

is suggested to wisely decide which

rehabilitation center to enroll in when
overcoming an addiction and not simply only
entering the first one.
They also recommend going to a sober living
house, also known as a halfway house, after
treatment in order to continue without the
use of the drug.
Treatment programs can be very expensive
and cost up to $20,000 for a 30-day
program.

How Crack is made

Crack

cocaine is also made from powder

cocaine, but because its production doesn't
require the use of flammable solvents, it is
safer to make than freebase cocaine. To
make crack, powder cocaine is dissolved in a
mixture of water and
eitherammoniaorsodium
bicarbonate(baking soda). The mixture is
boiled to separate out the solid, and then it's
cooled. The solid is then dried and cut up
into small nuggets, or "rocks."

Statistics
In

US Federal courts in 2007, 5,477

individuals were found guilty of crack
cocaine-related crimes. More than 95%
of these offenders had been involved in
crack cocaine trafficking.
In the United States, crack cocaine was
the primary drug of abuse in 178,475
admissions to treatment in 2006. This
represented 71% of all primary cocaine
admissions to treatment that year.

 The

2006 US National Survey on Drug Use

and Health shows that 8.6 million Americans
aged 12 and older reported having used
crack. Among those 18 to 25, 6.9% of those
surveyed said they had used cocaine
(including crack) within the last year.

The

2007 US Governments Monitoring the

Future survey found that among high-school
students, 3.2% of twelfth graders had used
crack cocaine at some point in their lives.

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