Coke is a street name for cocaine, the strongest natural stimulant, known for its bitter taste and addictive properties. It is derived from the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca plant, native to the Andean mountains of South America. The word "cocaine" itself is inspired by the plant's name, and this drug even featured in the original formula of Coca Cola.The medical potential of cocaine was realized when American surgeon William S. Halstead demonstrated its numbing effects by injecting it into nerve trunks. This led to its use as an anesthetic, first utilized as a spinal anesthetic by German surgeon August Bier in 1898. However, its addictive nature soon became apparent, and with the development of safer anesthetics in the 20th century, cocaine's use in medicine diminished. Despite this, it remains a highly addictive and harmful street drug today, inadvertently propelled into the drug culture by its early medical applications.Illicit cocaine typically appears as a white crystalline powder or an off-white chunky material. This base form is transformed into cocaine hydrochloride powder by mixing it with substances like sugars (such as lactose and mannitol) and local anesthetics (like lidocaine) to increase volume and profits. Cocaine is commonly snorted, injected, or smoked. Snorting involves inhaling the powder through the nose, allowing it to be absorbed into the bloodstream through nasal tissues. Injecting uses a needle to deliver the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling cocaine vapor or smoke, which enters the bloodstream as swiftly as through injection."Crack" is the street name for a version of cocaine processed from cocaine hydrochloride into a smokable free base. Unlike the volatile ether-based methods, crack is made using baking soda and water, producing a form that can be smoked. The name "crack" comes from the crackling sound during heating, attributed to the sodium bicarbonate.On the black market, crack is sold in small, affordable doses. Smoking crack delivers a large amount of cocaine to the lungs, creating effects similar to intravenous injection—intense and immediate, but short-lived. Cocaine use, whether through snorting, injecting, or smoking, is fraught with risks. Overdoses can cause seizures, respiratory failure, cerebral hemorrhage, and death. No specific treatment exists for a cocaine overdose, and evidence suggests that those who smoke or inject cocaine face higher risks.Cocaine smokers often suffer from acute respiratory issues, including coughing, shortness of breath, and severe chest pain, along with lung damage and bleeding. The addictive nature of cocaine may take hold more quickly when smoked than snorted. Injecting cocaine also poses the risk of transmitting infections like HIV if needles are shared.Colombia is the world’s top cocaine producer, responsible for three-quarters of the global supply. It utilizes cocaine base from Peru and Bolivia, as well as locally grown coca. To evade detection, traffickers have developed "black cocaine" by adding chemical compounds to cocaine hydrochloride, making it undetectable to standard tests and drug-sniffing dogs.
