Cocaine stripes: components, effects and dangers

Juan was a 17-year-old boy when he started using cocaine. Around that time, he used to smoking cannabis and drink alcohol as many young people do today, but sometimes he would "grab a gram of coca to take more" as he himself claims. As the years went by, he used more frequently, and even sniffed a few stripes at work because it made him "more plugged in," in his own words.

At the age of 30, he was about to die. Everything happened in a very hasty way, when, being surprised by a police control, Juan he swallowed 3 grams of cocaine so that he would not be caught by the authorities in possession of it drug. After swallowing it, the bag containing the drug was opened and in a matter of seconds Juan suffered a heart attack. Minutes later, he suffered two more heart attacks, until luckily he could be stabilized in the hospital, being revived by paramedics. Like Juan, it is common for many people to put their lives at risk with drug use, and cocaine is one of the favorites among users. But what is inside a line of this substance? In today's article we will reveal it to you.

What is cocaine?

Cocaine is a very addictive type of drug that belongs to the group of stimulants. Although it is usually associated with a white powder that is snorted, coca can also be injected or smoked, the latter is known as “basuco” or “paco”. On the street, coca is called by different names, for example, “farlopa”, “farlis” or “snow”.

When we talk about a stingray (or cleca) of coca, we mean the line of white powder preparing to be sniffed. Sometimes a smaller line is also made, and after soaking a cigarette with saliva, it sticks to be smoked. This is called "Chinese." Coca is a substance that is extracted from coca leaves (in South America it is usually chewed) and was originally used as an analgesic.

To know more: "Types of drugs: know their characteristics and effects"

Cocaine, a deadly powder

Juan tells us that: “at first I used coca because it made me feel euphoric, it made me feel great, I was very focused and energetic. It's crazy, because after a while I needed to take it daily. It has caused me a lot of problems: I lost good friends and family and I was financially ruined.

Cocaine is possibly one of the most dangerous drugs for humans, as it is highly addictive. The profile of the cocaine addict is different from that of other drugs, such as the heroin addict, who is physically devastated and often ends up isolated in slums. Cocaine addicts may lead a normal life and live in upper-middle-class neighborhoods, since consuming cocaine is expensive, so it is not available to everyone.

The negative consequences of cocaine use

When someone becomes addicted to coca, they have serious difficulties to quit, since the person becomes mentally and physically a prisoner of this psychoactive substance. Hoy today, cooking is a billion dollar business, but it destroys many lives.

The consumer profile includes different ages, but health problems appear at any stage of life. People who consume coca can suffer respiratory problems, cardiovascular and cerebral infarcts, hemorrhages in the brain, among other negative consequences for their health. Despite this, cocaine use continues to increase around the world.

What's inside a line of cocaine?

But what's inside a line of cocaine? Are users of this drug really aware of what they are taking? When someone buys drugs on the street, they do not really know what is inside that illegal substance, because they do not pass any control. This allows camels to add substances (often harmful) in order to obtain a greater economic benefit..

The truth is that, contrary to what many think, the line of coca carries everything except cocaine. According to him Galicia newspaper, within a line of coca there may be only between 5% and 40% of this substance. What's more, inside it can be traces of chalk, rat poison, pesticides or detergents.

Coca arrives in Spain with 80% purity but here it is “cut” to produce a greater economic benefit. Although traffickers are aware that a percentage must be maintained that allows the drug not to lose value in the market, it may happen that, in coastal areas, very poor quality cocaine is sold to foreigners or outsiders.

What is cocaine cut with?

Cocaine is cut with different substances, some of them very dangerous. Below you can see a list of substances that are added to a line of cocaine:

• Amphetamines
• Whiteboard
• Tetracaine
• Benzocaine
• Analgesics
• Antihistamines
• Opioids
• Iniston
• Sugars
• Phencyclidine
• Ephedrine
• Borax (detergent)
• Lactose
• Speed
• Almax
• Talcum powder

Know the different types of drugs

Drug use is one of the biggest problems facing today's society. Well, the consequences of addiction to this type of substance are not only suffered by consumers, but by their families and close people. If you want to know more about the different types of drugs that exist, you can consult this article: Types of drugs: know their characteristics and effects.

You can also visit our section dedicated to drugs and drugs, where you can find monographs, news and research related to the different prohibited substances.