Crack cocaine is the crystal form of cocaine. It comes in solid blocks or crystals varying in color from yellow to pale rose or white. Crack is heated and smoked. It is so named "crack" because it makes a popping or cracking sound when heated. Crack, the most potent form in which cocaine appears, is also the riskiest. It is between 75% and 100% pure and far stronger than cocaine.

Smoking crack allows it to reach the brain more quickly, thus bringing an intense and immediate (very short lived) high that lasts about 15 minutes. This high is immediately followed by an equally intense depression, edginess, and/or craving for more of the drug. Addiction can happen after the first use, especially if crack is being smoked rather than snorted.

Most common street names: 24/7, Apple jacks, badrock, ball, base, beat, candy, chemical, cloud, cookies, crumbs, crunch & munch, devil drug, dice, electic kool-aid, fat bags, french fries, glo, gravel, grit, hail, hardball, hard rock, hotcakes, ice cubes, jelly beans, kryptonite, nuggets, paste, piece, prime time, product, raw, rocks, rock star, rox/roxanne, scrabble, sleet, snow coke, sugar block, topo (spanish), tornado, troop.

Signs and Symptoms of use:

> Irregular sleep pattern
> Increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature
> Muscle spasms
> Convulsions
> Paranoid, angry, hostile, or anxious behavior
> Blistered lips
>Loss of appetite
> Increased breath rate
> Nausea
> Hyper stimulation
> Hallucinations, hyper excitability
> Intense euphoria
> Panic, irritability, cravings
> Depression
> Apathy

Long-term effects can include: Convulsions, seizures, permanent damage to blood vessels of ear and brain, heart attack, stroke, liver/kidney/lung damage, severe chest pains, respiratory failure, malnutrition, severe tooth decay, and/or sudden death.

Information obtained from the Foundation for a Drug-Free World.