CocaineCocaine is a highly addictive drug of abuse. Individuals who have tried cocaine have described the experience as a powerful high that gave them a feeling of supremacy. However, once someone starts taking cocaine, it is not possible to predict or control the extent to which they will continue to use it. The main ways of taking cocaine are by snorting or snorting it, injecting, and smoking (including freebase and crack cocaine). Health risks exist regardless of whether cocaine is inhaled (snorted), injected, or smoked. However, it appears that compulsive cocaine use can develop even more rapidly if the substance is smoked rather than snorted. Smoking allows extremely high doses of cocaine to reach the brain very quickly and causes an intense, immediate high. The injecting drug user also runs the risk of contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS infection if needles or other injecting equipment are shared. Health hazards • Physical effects. The physical effects of cocaine use include narrowed peripheral blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Some cocaine users report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety, both during use and between periods. An appreciable tolerance to the high can be developed, and many addicts report seeking, but not being able to achieve, the same pleasure they got from the first exposure. • Paranoia and aggression. High doses of cocaine and/or prolonged use can trigger paranoia. Smoking crack cocaine can produce particularly aggressive paranoid behavior in users. When addicted people stop using cocaine, they may become depressed. This depression causes users to continue using the drug to relieve their depression. • Long-term effects. Prolonged snorting of cocaine can cause ulceration of the nasal mucosa and damage the nasal septum to the point of causing its collapse..