It can be really hard to get clear and non-judgemental information about drugs. To help cut through the noise, we've compiled a list of the most commonly searched questions about cocaine. Here are our answers.
What is cocaine?
Cocaine is a stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant. It usually comes as a white powder. Cocaine is usually snorted and the effects generally last about 10 – 90 minutes.
Is cocaine an opioid?
Nope! Cocaine is not an opioid. Cocaine is a stimulant made from the coca plant. Opioids are a group of drugs (including tramadol, morphine, heroin and fentanyl) that either come from the opium poppy plant or mimic its effects. Opioids are depressant drugs that are often prescribed to people for pain relief.
Is cocaine a stimulant?
Yes, cocaine is a stimulant. Stimulants speed up your body and brain. They can make you feel energetic, excited, talkative, socially confident and anxious.
What does cocaine do to the brain?
Cocaine acts on neurons (brain cells) by stopping them from being able to re-absorb neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry messages around your brain and body.
This causes increased signalling between cells which causes increased alertness, feelings of well-being, euphoria and sometimes paranoia. As the effects wear off, people can feel irritable and depressed.
Using cocaine regularly, over a long period of time can change the structure of your brain. This is especially the case for the parts of your brain involved in decision-making, judgement and executive function. This can cause problems with your thinking, attention, emotional regulation, impulsivity, aggressiveness, depression and movement.
If you use cocaine regularly, you may experience withdrawal symptoms after stopping. When you stop taking cocaine, you often have lower levels of dopamine in the areas of your brain responsible for making decisions. This can make you feel unmotivated and depressed.
What does cocaine feel like?
Cocaine is a stimulant, so it speeds up your brain and body. It can make you feel more energetic, more talkative, and euphoric. Here’s some descriptions from people who have used cocaine:
“Using cocaine to me feels like I'm taking a shot of energy. Very quickly I feel more alert, awake, happy, and energetic; I could talk non-stop for hours. I can feel my heart start to race, a feeling I enjoy, and the tough things happening like aches or annoyances fade away. I don't notice much of the outside world but am hyper fixed on whatever is in front of me. After about an hour, even though I still feel the full effects, I start to want more. Of course, the next day I do not feel invincible anymore and usually pay the price for the festivities of the day before.”
“The first blow of some coke was amazing, then you just spend the rest of the night trying to maintain, and by the end of the night you're blowing a rail every 15 minutes trying to keep that high, but it just gets less and less each time.”
What does cocaine smell like? / What does cocaine taste like?
Cocaine usually tastes and smells ‘chemically’.
Some cocaine users talk about their experience:
“For me it smells and tastes sharp and almost bleachy.”
“Kind of like a combination of battery acid and petrol.”
How long does cocaine stay in your system?
You can feel the effects after just a few minutes, and these can last from about 10 to 90 minutes. The effects come on slower if you swallow cocaine and quicker if you snort it.
How long the cocaine stays in your body depends on the person and how much/how often they’ve taken it. But in general, cocaine will stay in your saliva for 12 – 48 hours, urine for 2 – 4 days and blood for 12 – 48 hours. Cocaine can be detected in hair for much longer – about 90 days.
How long does cocaine stay in your urine?
Cocaine is detectable in your urine for about 2-4 days after you last used cocaine.
What is pink cocaine?
Also called ‘tusi’, ‘pink cocaine’ usually doesn’t have any cocaine in it. ‘Pink cocaine’ is often a mixture of MDMA, ketamine and caffeine. But could be made up from a bunch of different drugs including meth, synthetic cathinones and even cocaine.
The only way to know what’s in your ‘pink cocaine’ is to take it to a drug checking clinic.
Because ‘pink cocaine’can be such a random mixture of drugs , the effects are extremely unpredictable and potentially dangerous. This makes it very hard to know how much to take.
If choosing to use ‘pink cocaine’, be safer by:
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Starting with a small amount and wait before deciding if you want more
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Crushing and mixing the whole bag before measuring out your dose
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Avoid mixing with other drugs including prescription meds and alcohol
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Having people around who can get help if needed
Call the ambulance immediately if they have any of these signs of overdose:
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Loss of consciousness or unresponsiveness
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Difficulty breathing or stopped breathing
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Seizures
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Racing heart
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Extreme agitation lasting more than 15 minutes
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Chest pain or breathing difficulties lasting more than 5 minutes
Be honest with medical professionals about what was taken; you won't get in trouble, and it could save a life.
Is cocaine addictive? / How addictive is cocaine?
Cocaine can be addictive. Like all drugs, there will be some people who only use cocaine occasionally and some people that use very often and develop an addiction to it. Cocaine can encourage people to keep taking more because the effects wear off much quicker than other drugs (10 – 90 minutes). This desire to keep taking more is called ‘compulsive redosing’.
Some signs you could be addicted:
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You’ve developed a tolerance to cocaine (you notice cocaine doesn’t give you as strong effects as when you first took it)
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Your cocaine use is impacting your personal relationships and responsibilities at work or school
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You’re using larger amount of cocaine and more often
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You’ve attempted to quit multiple times but have not been able to
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You’re experiencing health issues from using cocaine (e.g. damage to your nasal passage or heart problems)
What you can do to help prevent cocaine addiction
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If you’re taking cocaine on a night out, only take with you the amount you plan to use
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Try not to re-dose too many times in the night and be aware the even if you don’t feel the effects, the added cocaine is still putting extra strain on your body
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Talk to people you trust if you feel you’re using cocaine too much.
Is cocaine bear a true story?
It’s very loosely based on a true story, which is unfortunately quite tragic. In 1985 a black bear in Georgia consumed about 3 – 4 grams of cocaine, overdosed and died. There was no drug fuelled rampage, as seen in the movie. It does show that no matter who you are, you need to be careful with the amount you consume.
Whether you’re a black bear in Georgia, or a human in Aotearoa, it’s important to measure your doses and avoid taking too much, if you’re choosing to use cocaine.
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