According to the UNODC, nearly 25 million people worldwide used cocaine in 2023. The growing surge highlights cocaine as the fastest-growing illicit drug, especially in the US and Europe [1]. Cocaine is often used as a party drug mixed with alcohol or used to increase productivity or performance. However, it can quickly lead to abuse and addiction.
One of the reasons cocaine is so addictive is because of its short and intense high, compelling users to often repeat doses in a short amount of time. This creates a cycle of “chasing the rush” that can be difficult to quit without professional intervention.
Read on to understand what cocaine is, how it works on the brain, and resources to support you or a loved one recovering from cocaine abuse.
What is Cocaine?
Cocaine is an illegal stimulant sold recreationally on the street, abused by many users for its quick and intense euphoric high. It comes from the coca plant, grown mainly in countries in South America such as Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia.
Many cocaine users do this to feel more social or pair it with alcohol to reduce the negative effects of drinking, such as nausea or loss of consciousness. Cocaine abuse is also common among individuals in high-stress roles or to increase productivity in the workplace. It is typically snorted in the form of a white powder or smoked as a freebase rock form known as crack cocaine [2].
Short-Term Effects of Cocaine
Cocaine causes quick, short-term effects and an immediate high that includes:
- Increased euphoria, energy, alertness
- Talkativeness, or fast, slurred speech that is difficult to follow
- Heightened sensitivity to sensory input can increase irritability
- Decreased appetite and need for sleep
- Increased breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure
- Dilated, pinpoint pupils
- Restlessness, dizziness, muscle twitching
Long-Term Effects of Cocaine
The long-term effects of cocaine use reflect the progressive damage from long-term, repeated use and include [2]:
- Heart damage: Chronic cocaine use can cause heart disease, arrhythmias, blood clots, and stroke.
- Lung damage: Smoking cocaine (crack cocaine) can lead to infections, reduced oxygen levels, and scarring of lung tissue.
- Nasal and Oral Damage: Snorting cocaine contributes to nosebleeds, increased mucus production, gum disease, and, in severe cases, a perforated nasal septum.
- Stomach Damage: Cocaine use can reduce blood flow in the digestive system, causing ulcers or ischemic colitis (colon inflammation).
- Neurological Impact: Long-term cocaine use damages blood vessels in the brain, increasing the risk of seizures, stroke, memory loss, and early-onset dementia or cognitive decline.
- Mental Health: Long-term cocaine users often struggle with depression, anxiety, paranoia, and psychosis.
Common Street Names for Cocaine
Cocaine is often sold on the street and may be advertised by different names. Some of these include:
- Coke
- Blow
- Snow
- Rock
- Crank
- Coca
- White Lady
- Nose Candy
- Bam Bam
- Yayo
How Long Does A Cocaine High Last?
The length of a cocaine high can depend on a variety of factors, including how the drug is used; effects are typically much shorter compared to other substances. Cocaine effects usually peak within 5 to 15 minutes, unlike other stimulants such as methamphetamine, Adderall, or Ritalin, which tend to last anywhere from 4 to 12 hours.
The short effects and intense high produced by cocaine are a driving factor in its high potential for abuse and addiction. The short duration of the high creates a “crash and crave cycle” of repeated use, with many users taking multiple doses (bumps or lines) in a short period of time to maintain the euphoric high. This also explains why cocaine is a costly addiction to support, with many long-term users spending $150 to $500 a week [3].
Factors That Impact Duration of Effects
Several factors influence the length of a cocaine high in the brain. This includes the method of ingestion, the dose taken, and individual biological differences [4].
- Method of ingestion: Cocaine can be ingested in several ways, each with its own length of onset and duration.
- Snorting: Slower onset than other methods, but typically lasts 15 to 30 minutes.
- Smoking (crack cocaine): Immediate, rapid onset, but effects are only felt for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Injecting: Immediate, rapid onset, but only lasts a few minutes—similar effects to smoking.
- Dose: Higher doses of cocaine prolong the duration of the high, but also increase the risk of dangerous effects such as heart attack, stroke, or psychosis.
- Purity of Cocaine: Crack cocaine and less pure forms often deliver a more intense and shorter high compared to pure, powdered cocaine.
- Metabolism: Metabolic rate, body weight, gender, and height can all play a role in how the body processes cocaine.
- Brain dopamine activity: Cocaine blocks dopamine reuptake, quickly spiking levels, and impacting the brain’s regulatory response.
- Polydrug Use: Mixing cocaine with alcohol or other drugs such as opioids or benzodiazepines can increase the intensity and length of the cocaine high, and also complicate withdrawal symptoms.
What is the Difference Between Cocaine and Crack Cocaine?
Crack cocaine (crack) is the street name given to a form of cocaine made by processing the drug into small white or off-white crystals that are usually smoked. Individuals use crack by heating the rock and smoking it from a pipe. It causes an instant euphoric effect, faster than snorting powder cocaine [2].
| Drug Category | Cocaine | Crack Cocaine |
| Form | White powder | White or off-white rock or crystal |
| Method of Use | Snorted, sometimes injected | Smoking |
| Onset and Duration | May take a few minutes to feel effects, lasts for 15 to 20 minutes | Feel the effects within seconds; “rush”, only lasts for 5 to 10 minutes |
| Price Per Gram | $80 to $120 per gram | $5 to $20 per gram “rock” |
| Dose Per Gram | 1 gram (5 to 10 doses) | 1 gram (2 to 10 doses) |
Evidence-Based Treatments for Cocaine Addiction
Evidence-based treatments for cocaine addiction include a combination of behavioral therapies, with contingency management (CM). These treatments use tailored strategies to help patients manage stress or triggers, recognize high-risk situations, and use a reward system to reinforce abstinence from cocaine. Some of the evidence-based therapies individuals can expect during cocaine addiction treatment include:
- Contingency Management (CM) uses a positive reward system, such as gift cards or prizes, to help users refrain from using cocaine.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps patients develop positive coping skills to manage triggers and cravings, or avoid situations that may lead to relapse. CBT also helps patients set goals, and reframe negative thoughts that drive cocaine use
- Trauma-Informed Therapies such as EMDR, DBT, and trauma-focused CBT can help address individuals who struggle with addiction due to underlying trauma and emotional distress. These therapies focus on empowering patients to heal from trauma, which often contributes to addiction.
Supportive Treatment for Cocaine Recovery
Cocaine recovery requires a comprehensive approach, and treatment often has better outcomes when combined with medication support and holistic activities or lifestyle changes. These can improve treatment outcomes and support overall mental well-being.
- Medication Management: There are currently no FDA-approved medications to treat cocaine addiction; however, many individuals may benefit from medication support to treat underlying mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, or ADHD. These are most effective when combined with behavioral interventions and therapy.
- Holistic Healing: Activities that focus on improving one’s physical, mental, and spiritual well-being can enhance treatment outcomes and promote overall positive well-being. Individuals in recovery can benefit from activities such as music, art, dance, massage, yoga, journaling, and guided meditation.
Cocaine Addiction Treatment and Holistic Healing in Mapleton, UT
At Maple Mountain Mental Health and Wellness, our compassionate team of clinical psychiatrists and experienced therapists is committed to providing supervised medication management and behavioral interventions to help adults recover from cocaine addiction. Through a holistic, blended approach, we address each aspect of your health and recovery needs to support long-term healing. Reach out for support today.
Sources
[1] World Drug Report 2025. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
[2] Cocaine. 2024. National Institute on Drug Abuse.
[3] Teinmiller, C. et al. (2014). Cocaine behavioral economics: from the naturalistic environment to the controlled laboratory setting. Drug and alcohol dependence, 141, 27–33.
[4] Nestler E. J. (2005). The neurobiology of cocaine addiction. Science & practice perspectives, 3(1), 4–10.