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Even
first-time crack or cocaine users
can
have seizures or heart attacks, which can kill them.
Even one hit of crack
or cocaine can kill you, because it can cause heart attacks,
strokes, or breathing problems. Crack and cocaine use is also
linked to car crashes, falls, burns, drowning, and suicide. They
are stimulants that tend to give a temporary illusion of
limitless power and energy that leaves the user feeling
depressed, edgy, and craving more. Crack and cocaine are both
very addictive. This addiction can ruin your physical and mental
health and can become so strong that these drugs dominate all
aspects of your life.
Cocaine affects your brain.
The word "cocaine" refers to the drug in both a powder
(cocaine) and crystal (crack) form. It is made from the coca
plant and causes a short-lived high that is immediately followed
by opposite, intense feelings of depression, edginess, and a
craving for more of the drug. Cocaine may be snorted as a
powder, converted to a liquid form for injection with a needle,
or processed into a crystal form to be smoked.
Cocaine affects your body.
People who use cocaine often don't eat or sleep regularly. They
can experience increased heart rate, muscle spasms, and
convulsions. If they snort cocaine, they can also permanently
damage their nasal tissue.
Cocaine affects your emotions.
Using cocaine can make you feel paranoid, angry, hostile, and
anxious, even when you're not high.
Cocaine is addictive.
Cocaine interferes with the way your brain processes chemicals
that create feelings of pleasure, so you need more and more of
the drug just to feel normal. People who become addicted to
cocaine start to lose interest in other areas of their life,
like school, friends, and sports.
Cocaine can kill you. Cocaine
use can cause heart attacks, seizures, strokes, and respiratory
failure. People who share needles can also contract hepatitis,
HIV/AIDS, or other diseases.
©2004
Free My Addiction Referral Services
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