Cocaine

Cocaine is usually in powder form. It causes a short-lived, intense "high" that is immediately followed by depression, edginess and a craving for more. It is considered a stimulant drug because it causes increased heart rate and a sense of energy. Cocaine can be snorted or injected.

Street names:

Aunt Nora, Ball, Bernice, Blow, C, Charlie, Coke, Dust, Flake, Mojo, Nose candy

Short-term effects:

• Poor eating and sleeping
• Increased heart rate and breathing
• Muscle spasms and convulsions
• Paranoia, anxiety and hallucinations
• Severe depression and hostility

Long-term effects:

• Severe tooth decay
• Destruction of tissues in nose if sniffed
• Infectious diseases and abscesses if injected
• Respiratory failure if smoked
• Irreversible damage to blood vessels in the brain and heart, leading to strokes, heart attacks and death
• Sleep deprivation
• Liver, kidney and lung damage
• Loss of appetite
• Sexual dysfunction
• Reproductive damage and infertility
• Frequency of risky behavior
• Delirium or psychosis

Other related drugs