Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant. It is generally taken nasally (snorted) but can also be swallowed or injected. There is no safe way to take cocaine, but some methods, including a method of smoking the drug known as freebasing, can potentially be more harmful than others.
But what is freebasing cocaine, and what are the risks involved? Find out what you need to know in this article.
What Is Freebasing Cocaine?
While the term ‘freebasing’ is generally used as a verb to describe the method of taking cocaine, the ‘free base’ itself refers to an alkaline form of the drug that can be smoked. Powdered cocaine or cocaine hydrochloride cannot be effectively smoked as the chemical composition breaks down at high temperatures.
Freebase cocaine is made by adding ammonia to a solution of cocaine and water, which can produce white or yellow crystals that are much purer and more potent than the powdered version of the drug. They can also be smoked, producing a very intense high.
How Is Freebase Cocaine Used?
Freebase cocaine is typically smoked using a glass pipe and direct heating – such as holding a lighter directly to the pipe. It can also be taken using a plastic bottle or in foil, although this is less common. Freebasing cocaine delivers a more intense and immediate high compared to snorting cocaine.
Why Do People Freebase Cocaine?
Freebasing cocaine provides a stronger and more immediate effect. Some people may seek this out from the start. Others may have developed an addiction and tolerance to cocaine, meaning they crave the drug and already need to use more to achieve the same highs or effects they used to.
Cocaine is a very addictive substance; however it is taken, freebasing is particularly addictive due to its potency. Users may become hooked very quickly, and people who regularly use powdered cocaine can also be at increased risk of forming a serious addiction or their ‘habit’ quickly worsening.
Why the High Doesn’t Last and Why That Drives Repeated Use
The freebasing crack or cocaine high is intense but it’s also very short (at around 20 to 30 minutes) before a comedown starts. This very short duration is a big reason as to why freebasing crack or cocaine leads to binge patterns.
This is different from snorting cocaine, where the high (though less intense) lasts longer, and the crash can be less severe.
The high and then crash and then redose cycle is a significant reason freebasing carries such a high addiction risk. It isn’t only that freebase cocaine is stronger, it’s also that the pattern of use it encourages intensifies both the psychological dependence and the physical toll of each time.
The Dangers and Health Risks of Freebasing Cocaine
Cocaine use of any kind has a number of potential risks. Short-term effects can include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure. There is a risk of overdosing, and longer-term effects can include serious cardiovascular damage, including heart attack and heart failure, seizures and strokes. Cocaine use is also linked to a number of mental health issues, including anxiety and paranoia.
What Are the Main Risks?
The risks of freebasing cocaine can be even greater due to the increased potency and method of delivery. Specific freebasing cocaine dangers can include:
- Severe Addiction Potential: The strength and immediacy of the drug’s effects can lead to rapid and severe dependency. Psychological cravings can begin after the first use. One study found that subjects freebasing immediately experienced stronger cravings for another dose compared to intravenous use.
- Damage to Lungs and Respiratory System: Smoking the drug can cause severe damage to the lungs and respiratory systems. Freebasing has been shown to damage both large and small airways, causing long-term damage.
- Increased Risk of Overdose: Due to the purity and strength of the drug, freebasing considerably heightens the likelihood of overdose and associated complications, including cardiac arrest. Powdered cocaine users may not be prepared for the stronger freebase form and may underestimate the potential effects of freebasing.
- Physical and Mental Health Side Effects: Again, physical issues such as damage to the cardiovascular system can be more pronounced due to the relative potency of freebasing. Freebasing can also intensify paranoia and anxiety and potentially trigger psychosis.
Making Freebase Cocaine Risks
Before freebase cocaine is ever smoked, actually making it into this form involves flammable and also toxic chemicals, and the preparation process has caused fires, explosions and severe burns, completely separate from any risk from smoking the drug.
The way freebase crack or cocaine is made usually involves a flammable solvent which is used to extract the cocaine base from a mixture of powder cocaine, water, and ammonia. Once separated, the ether is meant to be fully evaporated off before the freebase is smoked, but if any ether residue remains and is then heated (as it inevitably is as freebase is smoked using direct flame), it can then ignite.
Cases of severe burns, explosions and toxic fume inhalation have all been documented and linked to people who have attempted to make freebasing cocaine.
Freebasing vs. Crack Cocaine: What’s the Difference?
When considering freebasing vs crack cocaine, there are definitely similarities. Crack cocaine is also a derivative of powdered cocaine that can be smoked, and it also gives a stronger ‘hit’. However, where freebasing gets rid of impurities in the cocaine, the final heating step involved in making crack cocaine actually locks the impurities in.
Both freebasing and crack cocaine are generally considered riskier, more addictive and more potentially harmful than powdered cocaine – although the risks of any type of cocaine use should not be downplayed.
Signs of Freebasing Cocaine Addiction
There are a number of signs of cocaine addiction, which may also include freebasing cocaine. They could include:
- Temporary bursts of energy and talkativeness, followed by listlessness and comedowns
- Dilated pupils
- Extreme mood swings
- Weight loss
- Difficulty sleeping
- Paranoid behaviour, anxiety
- Money problems
- Secretive behaviour
Specific signs of freebasing could also include:
- Finding glass pipes
- Respiratory problems such as coughs, wheezing and difficulty breathing.
How to Seek Help for Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine is highly addictive however it is taken, but freebasing is even more likely to lead to dependency and addiction. If you are wondering how to stop freebasing cocaine, you will likely need some sort of professional help, as cocaine addiction is very difficult to tackle alone.
Prolonged cocaine use can essentially rewire the brain, causing changes in the way it processes pleasure and reward. Cocaine detoxification tends to involve largely psychological withdrawal symptoms, but there can be physical symptoms as well, including intense fatigue and slowed mental and physical functions.
Withdrawal symptoms can be safely and effectively managed through detox programmes. However, the psychological aspects of addiction will also need to be addressed, including the root causes of substance misuse. This is generally achieved via a range of therapies, which can include evidence-based techniques such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), group therapy and individual counselling. Relapse prevention sessions will also aim to provide the knowledge and strategies needed to maintain recovery.
A comprehensive cocaine rehab treatment programme will combine all these approaches and may also incorporate other elements such as well-being and relaxation techniques. An aftercare package can also provide vital support in the weeks and months after the treatment programme.
Reach Out for Support Today
Freebase cocaine is both dangerous and highly addictive, but it can be effectively treated. If you’re worried about your own cocaine use or that of a loved one, get in touch today to find out how we can help.
