Toronto Mayor Rob Ford said Tuesday that he had smoked crack cocaine, probably “in one of my drunken stupors,” about a year ago.
Here’s a look at the drug that can rapidly produce a high, some of the ways it can affect an individual’s behaviour and health, its legal status and other instances of high-profile use.
What is crack cocaine?
Crack cocaine is a chemically processed form of cocaine, a stimulant drug made into a white powder from leaves of coca bushes growing in the Andes Mountains of South America.
To make crack, the white crystalline cocaine powder – cocaine hydrochloride – is dissolved and boiled in a mixture of water and ammonia or baking soda. When that cools into a solid substance, small pieces, often called “rocks,” are formed, according to a 2009 RCMP report on “The Illicit Drug Situation in Canada.”
How is it used?
Cocaine is injected or snorted. Crack cocaine is usually smoked, often in a glass pipe, although it can also be injected.
The word “crack” comes from the distinctive sound heard when the substance heats up. When crack is heated and inhaled, the vapours are absorbed through the lungs and into the bloodstream, according to the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.
CBC News
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