You guessed right, ‘crack vs cocaine’ signals a competition between drugs. It seems that one drug competes with the other through its behaviour and symptoms. We will learn about crack and cocaine in parallel as they go together.
Drug trafficking industries offer a wide variety of substances for their clients. Cocaine is one example and has various forms and types, such as hydrochloride cocaine, crack cocaine, and black cocaine.
Cocaine affects the central nervous system primarily. Its effects are biological, psychological, and emotional. Its use, especially of the crack cocaine in Pakistan, has started in the last century. Due to this, our country has faced severe socio-economic crises.
Cocaine is still in use by many and is sold and purchased on a large scale. Its use and spread are a dangerous and serious matter, and prevention is a matter of an hour.
Crack vs Cocaine:
The crack vs cocaine comparison directs us to the understanding of each one. We will look into their spread, impact, and prevention, especially. Anyhow, crack and cocaine are both dangerous for the human body. Their harmful interactions impact the organs like the brain, heart, blood vessels, and liver.
Cocaine:
Cocaine is a product of the coca leaf made from its paste. Coca is a plant grown in South America. This salt form is called hydrochloride cocaine and is available in powder form. It is taken through injections and by nasal means.
Category:
Cocaine is categorized as a stimulant and local anaesthetic. Being a stimulant, it affects the central nervous system and initiates feelings of alertness. Whereas, medical professionals use it in surgical procedures as a local anaesthetic.
Cocaine as Addiction:
At the beginning, cocaine was used for beneficial purposes; however, people started to use it in large amounts. It led consumers towards its addiction. The government attempted to restrict its use, but it started to spread illegally.
Symptoms:
A consumer could experience these symptoms after using cocaine:
- High blood pressure
- High heartbeat
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Anxiety
- An increase in body temperature
Crack:
The freebase form of cocaine is called crack cocaine, or simply crack. It is available in rock form that cracks inside the device. This process of cracking makes smoke that is inhaled by the consumer.
Category:
Similar to cocaine, crack is also a stimulant drug, but its effects are more intense. Moreover, unlike cocaine, there is no legal accessibility to crack, nor is it used by doctors.
Crack as Addiction:
Compared to cocaine, crack is more addictive and causes more intense behaviour in its consumer. Moreover, it spreads and is used by people more than cocaine. Back in the 1980s, America faced a crack epidemic due to its rapid spread and high demand.
Symptoms:
Crack addiction symptoms are similar to those of cocaine. Its consumers also experience high blood pressure, high heartbeat, anxiety, etc. But, its effects can be adverse, like a heart attack and sudden death.
Damage: Crack vs Cocaine:
People may start using cocaine and crack to improve their performance. They find it useful in doing routine work efficiently. Afterwards, it becomes hard to stop their use, and the consumers become addicted.
Their high intake or long-term use damages the human system and affects the quality of functions. Let’s see how these drugs are problematic for health.
Neurotoxicity:
The use of crack and cocaine damages one’s brain structure and function. According to the American Addiction Center, it makes some parts of the brain more sensitive, whereas others are unresponsive. It affects brain cells and blood flow, which causes aging and a lack of efficiency of the central nervous system.
- Some common changes a consumer could experience are:
- Doesn’t feel pleasure
- Irritation and anxiety
- Decrease in decision-making power
- Loss of memory
Cardiac Toxicity:
Rehabs.uk reported that the use of cocaine and crack affects blood flow and vessel health. The narrowing and the leakage of blood vessels, and the loss of their flexibility, can lead to various heart problems. Moreover, these drugs can impact the oxygen supply and heartbeat of consumers.
The following are some serious cardiac health issues:
- High Blood Pressure
- Heart Attack
- Aortic Dissection
- Blood Clots
- Coronary Artery Disease
Psychiatric Problems:
In a comparison with cocaine, crack affects the psychological behaviour of addicts more aggressively. It is stated in the ‘Cocaine and Psychiatric Symptoms’ section on the website of the National Library of Medicine. According to this, the signs and effects of cocaine and crack on human psychology are as follows:
- Hallucinations
- Violence
- Agitation
- Delusions
- Suicidal thinking
Changes in Genes:
A terrible loss of using cocaine and crack is the alterations in genes. For example, their components interact with genes that are responsible for the brain and nervous system. It is in accordance with the ‘The Neurobiology of Cocaine Addiction’ article published at the National Library of Medicine.
Scientists are still doing research on cocaine and crack behaviour in relation to human genes. It helps analyze the possible effects of these drugs and find solutions to deal with the problem.
Mortality:
One of the adverse impacts that the usage of cocaine and crack could have on humans and their behaviour is mortality. It can be in the following ways:
- Sucide
- Homicide
- Natural death due to system collapse
Cases:
Multiple surveys have been conducted in Pakistan at different intervals and have shown different statistics of the usage of cocaine and crack. However, these surveys don’t give enough data, and the use of these substances is common. The fact is that most of the cases are not reported.
Reasons of High Usage:
As we know, cocaine and crack affect the nervous system, and consumers usually start taking these substances for various reasons. This usage creates alertness and reduces the need for dopamine uptake. Whenever consumers don’t take these drugs, they feel restlessness and loss of control. To overcome their situation, they started the uptake again.
This thing makes it difficult for the addict to break the habit. They become dependent on the drugs for their life. The only possibility is that rehab centers serve these people.
Role of IRC:
Islamabad Rehabilitation Clinic provides its rehab services to drug addicts. It makes the process convenient and functional through a highly skilled team and a supportive environment. The following are the services it provides:
- Case Study
- Medical Treatment
- Therapy
- 24/7 Support
Conclusion:
Cocaine in any form affects human health, especially the central nervous system. The difference between crack and cocaine is that crack has a stronger impact on the human body. Rehab centers like IRC are trying their best to provide rehab services. However, the situation is still worse.
Moreover, there is a high need to give attention to this matter. So that authorities can take control of the situation and take initiatives to prevent the spread of cocaine and other drugs.
