Cocaine and crack

Both drugs are Class A. Short term effects may include anxiety and hallucinations followed by feelings of persecution, tiredness, hunger and depression. Its short lived highs can result in the user repeating the doses to maintain the high to obtain the same effect which, can lead to a habit which is very expensive to maintain. Users can become physically and psychologically dependent.

Take the examples of Diego Maradona and Paul Merson, two exceptionally gifted sportsmen who wanted to continue playing brilliant football. However, once under the grip of cocaine, there was nothing they could do to stop their careers spiralling downhill.

The world of is littered with such stories of individuals who have spurned talent and stability to snort white powder up their nostrils. Don't let it happen to you.

Delivering a quick and euphoric high, cocaine is known to make confidence soar when it is taken. However the hit doesn't last very long (around 20-30 minutes) and this encourages repeated - and expensive- doses.

Crack is cocaine baked into a small rock. Usually smoked through a water pipe, it produces a rapid, intense high which lasts for about 2 minutes, followed by a buzz which usually lasts around 20 minutes before a long low or crash. Because the hit is so strong, some people get hooked on the sensation and end up blowing all their cash trying to read more