DEA Drug Fact Sheet: Cocaine

Cocaine is an intense, euphoria-producing stimulant drug with strong addictive potential.

What is Cocaine?

Cocaine is a stimulant derived from coca leaves grown in Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia. The manufacturing process typically occurs in remote jungle labs where the raw product undergoes chemical transformations.

• Production and Distribution: Colombia produces approximately 90 percent of the cocaine powder reaching the United States, with most of it entering through Mexico.
• Street Names: Common names include Blow, Coca, Coke, Crack, Flake, Snow, and Soda Cot.

Appearance and Forms

• Powder Cocaine: Usually distributed as a white, crystalline powder. It is often “cut” (diluted) with substances like sugars or local anesthetics to increase profits for dealers.
• Cocaine Base (Crack): Looks like small, irregularly shaped chunks or “rocks” of a whitish solid.

Methods of Abuse

Cocaine can be ingested in several ways:

• Snorting or Injection: Powdered cocaine can be snorted or dissolved in water and injected into veins.
• Smoking: Cocaine base (crack) is smoked, either alone or on marijuana or tobacco.
• Speedballing: The practice of using cocaine in combination with an opiate, such as heroin.

Effects of Use

Effect on the Mind

Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant that increases levels of dopamine in brain circuits regulating pleasure and movement.

• The “High”: Users experience an intense “rush” or euphoria.
• The “Crash”: This high is often followed by a “crash” characterized by mental and physical exhaustion, sleepiness, and depression that can last several days.
• Cravings: Following the crash, users experience a strong craving to use the drug again.

Effect on the Body

Physiological effects include increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, dilated pupils, insomnia, and loss of appetite. Widespread abuse of high-purity street cocaine can lead to severe health consequences, including:

• Irregular heartbeat and ischemic heart conditions.
• Sudden cardiac arrest, convulsions, strokes, and death.
• Long-term effects: Chronic snorting can lead to the erosion of the upper nasal cavity, while long-term inhalation can lead to a unique respiratory syndrome.

Similar Substances

Other stimulants, such as amphetamine and methamphetamine, cause effects similar to cocaine, though they vary in degree.

Legal Status in the United States

Cocaine is a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act.

• Abuse Potential: It has a high potential for abuse.
• Medical Use: It has an accepted medical use in the U.S. as a topical local anesthetic for the upper respiratory tract and to reduce bleeding in mucous membranes (mouth, throat, and nasal cavities).
• Current Medical Usage: Because more effective products have been developed, cocaine is now rarely used medically in the United States.