Crack Cocaine Addiction and Its Dangers

When it comes crack cocaine and its dangers, there’s no shortage of awareness among the American public. Just the term crack has become common slang for addictive. The drug is famous for ravaging urban America in the 1980s. The “crack epidemic” led to some of the stiffest law enforcement efforts and policies the country had ever seen.While the methods may not have been appropriate, a strong reaction was warranted: crack cocaine is a deadly drug, as addictive as drugs get.Crack Cocaine DamageOnce crack makes it way into the bloodstream, across the blood-brain barrier and into the central nervous system, users can become visibly intoxicated in a disbursing ways. Inside, the drug is ravaging their body. The risk of cardiovascular or respiratory collapse is great. An insatiable desire or need for a fiercer, stronger high can lead to chronic usage that hammers down on the heart, lungs, and brain bit by bit, day by day, hit by hit. They may suffer convulsions, cold sweats, hallucinations, seizures—the sort of disturbing behavior we associate with stereotypical street junkies. It can be hard to believe that there lies a sense of euphoria beneath their deteriorating state, but it’s there, and when it isn’t, it’s all they can think about.Crack Cocaine OverdoseEven five grams of low quality crack—about 20 percent purity—is enough to kill someone within one to five hours of ingestion. That’s not much when compared to some other narcotics. It happens a lot. Only alcohol poisoning accounts for more emergency room visits.A good amount of drug overdoses in general occur when crack is mixed with other narcotics, often “downers” like opiates or benzodiazepines—the goal being to “even out” and enjoy a more balanced high. This is often referred to as a “speedball.”Getting Help for Crack AddictionThe stigma surrounding crack has mostly to do with the collateral damage: the economic, safety, and community costs. However, the greatest, most underrepresented threat is to addicts themselves. Quitting is difficult, but it can be achieved through medical detox, professional treatment, and long-term sobriety programs. Because crack addiction is such a widespread issue, there is a tremendous amount of funding that goes into making treatment available to the whole public—both the wealthy and poor.

If you are seeking treatment for crack cocaine dependency, first consult with your own personal physician. Treatment will likely be recommended. If you’d like to know more about our programs here at the The Last Resort, call today: 512.575.4071.