By Ryan Norris

Cocaine
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug of abuse. Once having tried cocaine, users cannot predict or control the extent to they will continue to use the drug. What is Cocaine? Cocaine is a drug (paste) extracted from the leaves of the South American coca plant. It is a strong stimulate that effects the body's central nervous system.

Cocaine - Price
Prices can vary from region to region. The prices given here are an average of street prices reported from 20 different parts of England. A gram of coke powder generally costs between 30 and 50. A crack rock costs between 10 and 20. It's sometimes sold cheaper by the slice or as a 'clubbing rock' for about 10.

Cocaine - Slang
Slang: Street names for drugs can vary around the country.
powder cocaine Coke Charlie C White Percy Snow toot. For crack rocks, wash, stones, pebbles, base, freebase

Cocaine The Risk

After a big night on cocaine, it's not unusual for people to feel like they've got the flu. Some people are over-confident on it and so may take very careless risks. The hit from coke doesn't last long and from crack lasts even less. When the effects start to wear off there can be a very strong temptation to take more, particularly with the long come down, the crash period can happen days later. Crack and cocaine powder users have died from overdoses. High doses can raise the body's temperature, cause convulsions and respiratory or heart failure. Risk of overdosing increases if crack is mixed with heroin, barbiturates (sedatives) or alcohol. Cocaine is highly risky for anybody with high blood pressure or a heart condition. Perfectly healthy, young people can have a fit or heart attack after taking too much coke and you may not know youve got a pre-existing heart condition. Those who get into cocaine very often find they begin to crave it more. And because the effects wear off so quickly, cocaine and crack can become an expensive habit to keep. Using cocaine a lot makes people feel depressed and run down. People who use crack or coke regularly often develop serious problems with anxiety and paranoia. It's a known cause of panic attacks. Large or frequent use of coke tends to knock sexual desire on the head. Cocaine can bring previous mental health problems to the surface. If a close relative of yours has had serious mental health problems, its possible there might be an increased risk for you in taking cocaine. Injecting any drug can cause vein damage, ulcers and gangrene, particularly with dirty equipment. Sharing of needles and other injecting works can help the spread of HIV and hepatitis virus infections. It's easier to overdose if youre injecting your cocaine. Cocaine is a local anaesthetic and it deadens pain at the injection site. This makes it harder for users to notice the damage they may be doing. Using cocaine with other drugs or alcohol (whether with depressant or stimulant substances) can substantially increase risk of sideeffects. Alcohol and cocaine together can be particularly dangerous as the substances interact in the body to produce a toxic chemical. The risks further increase if other drugs are taken as well. Injecting a mixture of cocaine and heroin, known as a 'speed balling' is a dangerous cocktail with potentially fatal results. Taking cocaine when you're pregnant can damage your baby. It may cause miscarriage, premature labour and low birth weight babies. Babies born to mothers who keep using throughout their pregnancy may experience a withdrawal syndrome after delivery. Heavy crack users may take heroin to try to dull their cravings. As a consequence, some crack users have become dependent on heroin as well. Regularly smoking crack can cause breathing problems and pains in the chest. Smoking anything damages the lungs.

Cocaine where is it from

Cocaine is extracted from the leaves of the Erythroxylum (coca) bush, which grows on the slopes of the Andes Mountains in South America. For at least 4,500 years, people in Peru and Bolivia have chewed coca leaves to lessen hunger and fatigue. Today, most of the worlds supply of coca is grown and refined into cocaine in Colombia. Criminal networks control the lucrative cocaine trade.

Cocaine In Public Services.

Ten Scotland Yard officers were caught using illegal drugs including cocaine, heroin and cannabis in 2009. The officers took either cocaine, heroin or cannabis. Two resigned and the third was sacked after a misconduct hearing. The positive tests were only a tiny proportion of the 815 random substance misuse tests that took place in the 12 months up to November. Officials tested a further 11 officers after colleagues became suspicious they may be using drugs during the same period. Of these tests, four people tested positive for cannabis and three for cocaine. Six officers resigned and one is waiting for the outcome of a disciplinary hearing. This tells us that will public service, no matter which service it is, will send you out of the services if allowed to.

Strategies used to stop the problems

You could talk to your caregiver. Your caregiver will help you find a program for people with cocaine dependence. Your treatment will depend on how much and how long you used cocaine. You may be treated in the hospital, or as an outpatient. Treatments may include medicines to help you cope with withdrawal symptoms. They may also include talking therapy in groups, or one-to-one with a counsellor. Treatment may include learning ways to deal with the people you knew when you were using cocaine. You may learn lifestyle changes that help you manage your life after cocaine. Other strategies to stop using cocaine is to low your doses. By this I mean reduce the amount you are using. As you do this, you will start to control yourself. And then hopefully you will get to the stage were you will not take it anymore as you can manage to live without it.( Because you have lowered you doses)