Cocaine is one of the best known drugs, and the most widely used hard drug in many countries.

According to the ranking of drug consumption in Spain, which uses data from the seizures of the National Police, the Guardia Civil and the Department of Customs and Excise, about 2.2% of Spaniards are familiar with this substance . The Comunitat Valenciana, the Canary Islands and Galicia are the regions with the most kilos of this drug seized.

The most common form of cocaine use is cocaine hydrochloride, which is known as coca powder, i.e. “coca stripes”. However, there are other forms of consumption that produce different effects and different types of cocaine and addiction , as it is not the same to snort stripes as to smoke crack.

Cocaine-a highly addictive drug

Cocaine is a very addictive drug and can be very dangerous . In the West, coca powder is the most widely used form of this substance, although there are other ways of ingesting it. This makes the profile of the drug addict somewhat heterogeneous.

In Europe, the cocaine user is often associated with someone of medium-high socio-economic 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 user , who may end up isolated in slums. The myth that it is possible for the cocaine addict to lead a normal life and live in upper-middle class neighbourhoods can only be restricted to those who consume cooking hydrochloride.

Consequences of Cocaine Use

As you see, cocaine can be mistakenly considered as the drug of the upper class, and has even come to be called the caviar of drugs. In powder form it can circulate on Wall Street and even on the fashion runways, where some models have come forward to claim that they are or have been addicted to the substance. But even though cocaine may be surrounded by glamour , the reality is that this drug strikes hard at the health of those who are addicted to it , as it has negative effects on the heart and the brain.

In addition, when someone becomes addicted to the substance they have serious difficulties quitting, since they become prisoners of this drug both mentally and physically.

Types of cocaine and addiction

Not all forms of cocaine use produce the same effects on 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, which is known as cocaine hydrochloride, although it is also called powder or snow. Striped cocaine (or clecas) is a highly addictive psychoactive substance, 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 (it touches 98%) and whiter, flaky and shiny .

However, there are other types of powder cocaine with less purity, in which its presentation is more dusty and with less shine. This is because a number of chemicals are added to the product for marketing purposes, which can be highly toxic. The fewer substances it incorporates, the purer the coca is and the higher the quality.

That’s why you have to be extremely careful when someone buys coca on the street, because they don’t really know what they are buying. According to the newspaper Diario de Galicia, the coca stripe often contains between 5% and 40% of this substance. Cocaine hydrochloride usually arrives in Spain with 80% purity, but here it is “cut” to obtain greater economic gain.

The cut is made with different substances, some of them very dangerous . Among these substances it is possible to find: amphetamines, chalk, almax (stomach pain powders), detergent, speed, talcum powder or painkillers.

  • You can learn more about cocaine stripes in our article: “Cocaine stripes: components, effects and dangers”

2. Chinese cigarette

Another way to consume coca is by smoking it . Although there are other ways of smoking it that do not have to be in the form of cocaine hydrochloride, many users smoke it directly from the coca line. These individuals usually moisten a cigarette so that they can then spread the cocaine line on the outside of the cigarette.

The effect is much less than that of the cocaine line, so it is usually combined with the snorting dose. That is, when a user snorts it, he or she usually smokes the remaining part of the line or stripes (if used with others). 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 bloodstream, thus increasing the intensity of its effect. It is the most dangerous way to use it, with an immediate but short lasting effect. The user needs to inject more in a short period of time, and it is easier to go over the dose .

4. Basuco or coca paste

Basuco (also bazooka, paco or coca paste) is an intermediate product in the manufacture of cocaine hydrochloride. It is also known as cocaine sulphate because it contains about 50% of this compound.

Coca paste is the result of a process that includes highly toxic and poisonous products such as sulphuric 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 is cheaper because the cost of producing it is much lower since it is made with cocaine residue.

5. Crack or cocaine in base

Crack or cocaine base is the result of incorporating chemical elements such as ether, ammonia and bicarbonate of soda into the cocaine hydrochloride. It is known as the cocaine of the poor because it is up to 15 times cheaper than cocaine 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 use is higher than other types of cocaine such as basuco. It is usually smoked in a pipe.

Pink cocaine: a drug used by the upper class

At present, a psychoactive substance has become very fashionable among the upper class . It is what is known as pink cocaine, pink powder or 2CB, and 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.

  • You can learn more about this drug in our article: “Pink Powder (pink cocaine): the worst drug ever known”