What makes cocaine freebasing particularly dangerous is that users typically do not wait that long for their next hit and will continue to smoke cocaine freebase until none is left. If a dependent user reduces or stops use of the drug abruptly, they may experience severe symptoms of withdrawal. These symptoms, which can begin as early as a few hours after the last drug administration, include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (“cold turkey”), kicking movements (“kicking the habit”), and other symptoms. Users also experience severe craving for the drug during withdrawal, precipitating continued abuse and/or relapse. About 5.5% of 19-22 year-olds surveyed had used Ecstasy in the previous year. Cocaine is produced from coca leaves. These leaves are stripped from the plant and crushed, chopped, and/or pounded and mixed with a solution of alcohol, gasoline, kerosene, or some other solvent that will separate the cocaine from the leaves. |
