The 5 Types Of Cocaine (and Differences In Addiction)
Cocaine is one of the best-known drugs, and the most consumed hard drug in many countries.
According to the ranking of drug consumption in Spain, which uses data from seizures by the National Police, the Civil Guard and the Department of Customs and Excise, around 2.2% of Spaniards are familiar with this substance The Valencian Community, the Canary Islands and Galicia are the regions with the most kilos of this drug seized.
The most common form of cocaine consumption is cocaine hydrochloride, which is known as coca powder, that is, “coca stripes.” However, There are other forms of consumption that produce different effects and different types of cocaine and addiction because snorting stripes is not the same as smoking crack.
Cocaine is a very addictive drug and can be very dangerous In the West, coca powder is the most commonly consumed presentation format of this substance, although there are other ways to ingest it. This makes the profile of the addict of this drug somewhat heterogeneous.
In Europe, cocaine users are often associated with someone with a medium-high socioeconomic status, as it is a substance that can be expensive. But this is not always the case, because there are other forms of addiction to this substance that are more economical.
In other words, they are consumed by people belonging to more disadvantaged social groups. Crack, for example, can be devastating for the consumer, which can end up isolated in marginal neighborhoods. The myth that it is possible for cocaine addicts to lead a normal life and live in upper-middle class neighborhoods can be restricted only to those who consume cooking hydrochloride.
You see, cocaine can be mistakenly considered the drug of the upper class, and has even been called the caviar of drugs. In powder form it can circulate on Wall Street and even on fashion catwalks, where some models have come forward to claim that they are or have been addicted to the substance. But although cocaine may be surrounded by glamor**, the reality is that this drug hits the health of addicts** hard, as it has negative effects on the heart and brain.
Furthermore, when someone becomes addicted to the substance they have serious difficulties quitting it, since they become a prisoner of this drug both mentally and physically.
Types of cocaine and addiction
Not all forms of cocaine consumption produce the same effects for the body nor are they equally addictive. This substance is made in three ways: powder, paste (basuco) and base (crack).
But, What are the types of cocaine and what characteristics do these three types of addiction have?
1. Cocaine powder or cocaine stripes
Coca can be consumed in the form of stripes, it is what is known as cocaine hydrochloride, although it is also called powder or snow. Cocaine stripes (or clecas) are highly addictive psychoactive substances, but less so than other types of cocaine. This powder, which is usually snorted, can have different shades. For example, the so-called “Yen” is purer (almost 98%) and whiter, flakier and brighter
Now, there are other types of powder cocaine with less purity, in which its presentation is more powdery and less shiny. This occurs because a series of chemical substances are added for its commercialization that can be highly toxic. The fewer substances it incorporates, the purer the coca is and it is considered of higher quality.
That is why extreme caution must be taken when someone buys coke on the street, because they do not really know what they are buying. The coca line often contains between 5% and 40% of this substance, according to the Diario de Galicia newspaper. Cocaine hydrochloride usually arrives in Spain with 80% purity, however, here it is “cut” to obtain greater economic gain.
The cut is produced with different substances, some of them very dangerous Among these substances it is possible to find: amphetamines, chalk, almax (powder for stomach pain), detergent, speed, talcum powder or pain relievers.
2. Chinese cigarette
Another way to consume coca is by smoking it Although there are other ways to smoke it that do not have to be in its cocaine hydrochloride format, many consumers smoke it directly from the coca line. These individuals usually moisten a cigarette so that they can then spread the line of coca on the outside of it.
The effect is much lower than that of cocaine, which is why it is usually combined with the snorted dose. That is, when a consumer snorts it, they usually smoke the remaining part of the stripe or stripes (if they consume it with other people). The cigarette with cocaine hydrochloride is called “Chinese”.
3. Injected cocaine hydrochloride
Cocaine hydrochloride can also be injected once it has been diluted in water. This is one of the most addictive forms of cocaine because the drug is transported directly into the blood, thus increasing the intensity of its effect. It is the most dangerous way to consume it, with an immediate but short-lasting effect. The consumer needs to inject more in a short time, and it is easier to overdo the dose
Basuco (also bazuco, paco or coca paste) is an intermediate product in the manufacture of cocaine hydrochloride. It is also known as cocaine sulfate because it contains approximately 50% of this compound.
Coca paste is the result of a process that includes highly toxic and poisonous products such as sulfuric acid, methanol or kerosene. As with injected coca, it is very addictive and causes physical and psychological deterioration It is usually mixed with tobacco or marijuana to be smoked, and it is cheaper because the cost of producing it is much lower as it is made with cocaine residue.
5. Crack or cocaine base
Crack or cocaine base is the result obtained by incorporating chemical elements such as ether, ammonia and bicarbonate of soda into cocaine hydrochloride. It is known as the poor man’s cocaine because it is up to 15 times cheaper than the hydrochloride
After being smoked, crack reaches the brain in a few seconds and its effects are stronger and more destructive than coca paste. It is also more addictive and the risk of death from its consumption is higher than other types of cocaine such as basuco. It is usually smoked in a pipe.
Pink cocaine: a drug consumed by the upper class
Currently, a psychoactive substance has become very fashionable among the upper class It is what is known as pink cocaine, pink powder or 2CB, and it is a synthetic drug with psychedelic and hallucinogenic effects, which alter all the senses and change the perception of the world. Its consumption produces very harmful effects for the person who takes it.
