Your Brain on Crack Cocaine

In the words of music legend Whitney Houston
‘Crack is Whack’. But with all the extra attention lately, thanks to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford – what
exactly is crack-cocaine? Is it really as ‘whack’ as it’s portrayed to be? Crack is simply another form of cocaine, which
comes from the leaves of a coca plant. After mixing powdered cocaine with a weak base,
such as baking soda, it changes composition and a solid is produced, often referred to
as ‘rocks’. This solid has a much lower melting point than cocaine (90C vs 190C) allowing
it to be smoked, as opposed to snorted. In fact, it’s called ‘crack’ because of the sound
it makes when heated. But why smoke it? Well, the lungs are an extremely quick and effective
way of getting something into the bloodstream. Those with asthma, for example, use inhalers
to quickly put a drug directly into their system. When smoke meets the large surface
area in your lungs, it too slips right through the membrane, and heads straight to your brain,
in as little as 8 seconds. This is much faster and more intense than the effects of snorted
cocaine which generally takes around 10 minutes to reach the brain. However, once in the brain, crack and cocaine
are effectively identical. Initially, users feel energized, alert and much more aware
of their senses. In the brain, crack acts on the Ventral Tegmental Area, releasing large
amounts of dopamine – the chemical often associated with feelings of pleasure and euphoria. This
dopamine travels between brain cells – called neurons – and binds to receptors that trigger
the good feelings. Now, normally, this dopamine would be reabsorbed back into the neuron by
a dopamine transporter; however, crack alters this process. It attaches to the transporter,
and blocks the reabsorption, allowing dopamine to build up and continually stimulate the
receptors. As a result, you feel – well – really good for around 10 minutes. But soon after, the dopamine levels in the
brain plummet, causing an extreme low and often feelings of depression. Which is why
many users typically smoke more, hoping to reach that high again. Unfortunately, these
dopamine levels can take a long time to naturally replenish, contributing to physical and psychological
dependence or addiction, as well as increased irritability, restlessness and paranoia. In some cases, crack or cocaine abuse can
lead to something called Delusional Parasitosis – the feeling that bugs or insects are crawling
under the skin. This often leads to self-destructive behaviour, like scratching or biting, in an
effort to get rid of the imagined bugs. In the most serious cases, crack’s impact on
the heart can cause heart attacks, strokes, or even stop the heart altogether, leading
to death. Simply put, on the extreme end of things,
crack can get pretty whack! Thanks to Audible.com for giving you a free
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