"The high from crack cocaine is intensely rewarding. But the experience is short-lived. Such immense well-being is unsustainable because its mechanisms don't subvert the systems of homeostatic feedback inhibition of the brain. So it's reckless to try crack cocaine at all - at least until one's death-bed - because its euphoric effect is so extraordinarily hard to forget. If one succumbs to curiosity, and finds out what one is missing, then the rest of one's life may pall in comparison. For there is nothing in life that's naturally so enjoyable as crack. Tragically, the user's family and loved ones may suffer the price of pleasure almost as severely as the addict." *Source: [Cocaine.org]

Crack is a freebase form of cocaine. It owes its name to the crackling sound made when heating the sodium bicarbonate or ammonia during its production. It became popular because it provides with instantaneous and intense highs. The most commonly smoked form of cocaine is crack.
   

• Snorting the drug is probably the way that makes the high last the longest, 15 to 30 minutes.

• Smoking it gives a more intense high but lasts from 5 to 10 minutes.

• Injecting it is close enough to smoking it, but has much higher risk, considering that you could contract diseases by sharing needles.
  
  

Cocaine is illegal. Selling, transporting, possessing, and smuggling cocaine are all serious crimes in many countries. Cocaine is commonly called coke, snow, flake, crack, rock, powder, white, blow, nose candy, lady, or toot. Cocaine is a white powder or rock made of leaves from the coca plant. Cocaine is inhaled through the nose, injected, or smoked.

Inhaling cocaine stimulates the body’s central nervous system and increases heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. The initial effects are brief and include euphoria and a sense of increased strength, energy, and alertness. Anxiety, irritability, and hostile or aggressive behaviour are also effects of cocaine. A cocaine high is often followed by feelings of depression, tiredness or headache.

Cocaine is extremely addictive. Every time the drug is taken, it creates a strong desire to take more. Each time a person uses cocaine, he or she needs more of the drug to create the same effect. Chronic use can lead to listlessness and severe reactions, such as seizures or psychotic behaviour.

Ingestion of cocaine can cause drug dependency, lung damage, psychosis, blood clots, burns, and toxic shock syndrome – which can lead to tremors, panic, chest pain, vomiting, and, without medical help, to convulsions, high fever, and death from heart attack or stroke. The very first dose of cocaine can cause stroke, heart attack, or sudden death.

People under the influence of cocaine may appear overly active or flushed, and may have dilated pupils. Users may show signs of behaviour change, such as decreased job or school performance, and/or physical deterioration, including weight loss.

Crack is a far stronger, more dangerous form of cocaine. It is one of the most addictive substances known, even more addictive than heroin. Crack is made by converting cocaine powder into light-brown shavings or pellets. Smoking crack produces a short, intense feeling of euphoria, which several minutes later, leads to a severe, crisis-like withdrawal, with extreme depression, paranoia, and an overwhelming desire for more crack. One dose of crack has been known to cause sudden death.

Crack is cheaper than cocaine, making it accessible to young or low-income buyers. Once addicted, crack users often turn to stealing, prostitution, or drug dealing to support their addiction. Prolonged use can lead to violent behaviour and psychotic states.

Freebasing (injecting or smoking pure cocaine) causes an intense rush that is similar to crack’s effects. This high is rapidly followed by a depressive crash. Injecting cocaine also brings risk of HIV infection.

Many babies born to mothers who abused cocaine or crack during pregnancy suffer immediate and long-term effects of the drug. These babies begin life in an agonized state of withdrawal and are often developmentally delayed or otherwise impaired.