Snorting cocaine

Is snorting Cocaine effective or dangerous? What dangers are present when you snort cocaine and can they be avoided? More on the effects of snorting Cocaine here.

3
minute read

What happens in your body and brain when you snort cocaine?

Here, we review how cocaine works as well as the dangers and safety concerns of snorting cocaine so that you can make an informed decision. We welcome questions about snorting cocaine at the end of this article, and will try to answer all legitimate questions with a personal response.

Cocaine: What are you really snorting?

Cocaine is a very strong drug which comes in many forms, some of which are illegal to posses and serve no medical purpose. Cocaine is often snorted as a powder. However, cocaine is a very dangerous and addictive drug, and because it’s normally only available as a street drug there’s no good way of knowing exactly what’s in the batch of cocaine you’re using. Cocaine can easily be laced with other drugs or toxic substances.

How does snorting cocaine affect the body?

Cocaine affects the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. Cocaine affects the brain by acting as a stimulant and increasing levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, causing feelings of euphoria and excitement. But cocaine also causes restlessness, as well as tremors and paranoia.  How long cocaine stays in the human body depends on mode of administration. While the half life for cocaine is about 1 hour, IV use of cocaine or snorting cocaine cause an intense surge of the drug in the body while oral ingestion brings on a slower effect.  In general, cocaine can be detected in urine 1-2 days after use, and can be detected in hair for up to 90 days after use.

Snorting cocaine to get high

Snorting cocaine causes large amounts of the drug to instantly enter the bloodstream through the nose. This is dangerous, and can cause heart or lung problems, which can be fatal. And although high doses of cocaine might be tolerated by someone who’s taken stimulants in large doses before, but they do raise the risk of adverse effects significantly.

Snorting cocaine vs oral

Cocaine is not normally used as an oral medication – when it is used medically, it’s as a topical anesthetic. As an illicit drug in the U.S., cocaine is not taken orally.

In Latin America, the coca leaf is brewed into tea or crushed between the teeth to release small amounts of cocaine into the body. However, it’s illegal to possess coca leaves in the US. This is generally very safe, since only very small amount of cocaine are found in the unrefined leaves.

Snorting Cocaine side effects

Taking cocaine in small amounts can cause restlessness and excitement. Severe side effects may occur when it’s taken in larger amounts, including:

  • constricted blood vessels
  • increased blood pressure
  • increased body temperature
  • increased heart rate
  • malnourishment
  • paranoia or psychotic episodes
  • overdose or death

Snorting Cocaine dangers

Snorting cocaine has some serious side effects. Snorting cocaine impairs your abilities and can cause accidents. It can harm your nasal passages over time, even spreading disease if you share snorting instruments with someone who is sick. You’re also running the risk of a serious addiction when you snort cocaine.  How fast do you get addicted to coke? Within days to weeks of taking cocaine repeatedly.   The risk you should be most concerned about, of course, is overdose and death. Because it’s impossible to know the purity of the cocaine you’re taking, even experienced cocaine users might easily overdose.

Snorting Cocaine safely

Cocaine is not safe to take by snorting. In fact, it’s not safe to take at all, due to the highly addictive nature of the drug and its strong effects. Since cocaine is illegal to take in most parts of the world, you might face harsh legal consequences for snorting it.

SnortingCocaine questions

Do you still have questions about snorting Cocaine? If so, please let us know. We respond to all Cocaine questions with a personal and prompt reply.

Reference Sources: NHTSA: Drug and Human Performance Fact Sheets: Cocaine
NIDA InfoFacts: Cocaine
Drug Enforcement Administration: Cocaine
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
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