Services
In 2021, 22 out of every 100,000 people in Delaware died from a cocaine overdose. The year before, it was 16 out of every 100,000. But what do these ratios mean? In 2020, Delaware had a population of 989,948. This means that in 2021, approximately 217 people in the state died from a cocaine-related overdose. In that same year, 136 people died from a car accident, which means 81 more people died from cocaine than they did from a car accident.
Instinctively, you probably want to keep your loved one safe from these numbers, but how can you know for sure if they are taking the substance? SUN Behavioral Health Delaware aims to help people answer this question. By learning about cocaine identification, you will know more about spotting when your family or friends are in need.
Cocaine is a Schedule II stimulant. The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration states, “Substances in this schedule have a high potential for abuse which may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.” While some doctors may use it as an anesthetic during surgery only, it is not primarily used this way. Most people will take the substance illicitly, and it has a high risk of developing into a cocaine use disorder if they consistently consume it over time.
People will often get it from a drug dealer. It may be combined with other substances to increase the drug dealer’s supply, lower the costs, or increase the strength of the cocaine. The longer someone engages with cocaine, the higher the risk of experiencing a cocaine overdose, especially when it is combined with other substances. Taking high quantities of the substance can also result in an overdose.
Cocaine can come in two primary forms: water-soluble hydrochloride salt and water-insoluble cocaine base. Water-soluble hydrochloride salt is a powder that is injected or snorted. The water-insoluble cocaine base may also be known as “freebase” or “crack,” and it is made by combining cocaine with ammonia or baking soda and water. This is then heated to produce a substance that can be smoked. A crackling sound may be heard from this form of cocaine.
People who take this substance regularly may inhale, inject, snort, or rub onto their gums. These can all present their dangers and intensity of effects. Different forms of the substance can make it easier to achieve these methods.
The five senses are how we identify many things around us. When it comes to cocaine, they might not be the best tools when it comes to the actual substance. For some of our senses, using them to try and identify cocaine can be dangerous and may lead to an accidental overdose.
To put it simply, cocaine looks like other substances. It comes in either a white powder or small, irregularly shaped white rocks. These descriptions could describe many different substances and some household products, like baking powder. By looking at it, it can be impossible to know for sure if the substance you are seeing is, in fact, cocaine or if it is something else.
Sometimes, the container in which it comes can indicate the substance. For example, if you find a ziploc bag of white powder hidden in your loved one’s sock drawer, there’s a higher chance it’s something illicit. Because cocaine also looks like heroin, meth, and other substances, however, it still isn’t easily identifiable on sight.
Cocaine typically has a chemical smell to it depending on its properties, such as if something else was mixed in or if it is in its pure form. However, you should never smell an unknown substance, as inhalation is a method of consumption.
When you smell something like cocaine, particles could get into your system. This places you in a situation where you might develop side effects from the substance or experience an overdose.
Typically, cocaine will have a bitter taste, but like smelling, you should never taste it. While tasting it may help you determine if it is cocaine or a household object like flour, it can bring about dangerous consequences. Even a tiny amount of the substance could result in serious side effects.
If someone you love is experiencing any of these signs and side effects, calmly discuss your concerns and urge them to seek treatment. Point out any signs you have noticed in them and explain how you see it impacting their life. Be open and willing to understand while also not enabling them to continue to take the substance. Instead, you can offer them a ride to a cocaine rehab. Understand that your loved one may not be receptive to attending treatment immediately, and multiple conversations may need to happen.
If you discover that someone you love has a cocaine use disorder, you might feel deep concern and fear for them. Your initial response might be to react angrily or force them into treatment, but this approach doesn’t always work well. Your loved one may resent you or not participate in their recovery journey. Instead, gently discuss your concerns and have options for them to consider.
At SUN Behavioral Health Delaware, we offer no-cost care assessments that allow potential patients, like your loved one, to meet with one of our counselors before starting their treatment. They will work with your loved one and their needs, desires, and concerns and take considerations from their doctors and previous treatment and assessments. These factors will be calculated to design a treatment plan that gives them the best chance of recovery.
SUN Behavioral Health Delaware Solves Unmet Needs. The decision to seek treatment for a cocaine use disorder can happen at any moment, which is why we offer 24/7 crisis care that provides people with stabilization when necessary. For any questions, call 302-604-5600 today.
21655 Biden Ave
Georgetown, DE, 19947
Open 24 hours
SUN Delaware
