Colorado Drug Rehab: Crack

Cocaine and Crack use in Colorado ranked in the highest percentages of Persons Aged 12 or Older Reporting Past Year Use by State: 2002-2003. Colorado ranks in the 2.77 to 3.9 percentages, which is the highest category captured by the SAMHSA's study. Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona are the only three states in the West that ranked in this percentile and there are only eight states that have a problem of equal magnitude. In the past year, the calls to Colorado Drug Rehab requesting rehab or treatment are mostly coming from the Denver area, but it has also been seen in Boulder, Fort Collins and Colorado Springs.

Crack addiction is one of society's greatest problems today. Individuals addicted to crack will do almost anything to get the drug. It has penetrated all levels of our society; rich, poor, and everyone in between. Family members connected to individuals with a crack addiction live in chaos and confusion, not understanding the underlying mechanics of crack addiction.

Once having tried cocaine, an individual cannot predict or control the extent to which he or she will continue to use the drug. Crack is a powerfully addictive drug of abuse.

"Crack" is the street name given to cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a free base for smoking. Rather than requiring the more volatile method of processing cocaine using ether, crack cocaine is processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water and heated to remove the hydrochloride, thus producing a form of cocaine that can be smoked. The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked (heated), presumably from the sodium bicarbonate.

The major routes of administration of cocaine are sniffing or snorting, injecting, and smoking (including free-base and crack cocaine). Snorting is the process of inhaling cocaine powder through the nose where it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. Injecting is the act of using a needle to release the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid as by injection.

There is great risk whether crack is ingested by inhalation (snorting), injection, or smoking. It appears that compulsive crack use may develop even more rapidly if the substance is smoked rather than snorted. Smoking allows extremely high doses of crack to reach the brain very quickly and brings an intense and immediate high. The injecting drug user is at risk for transmitting or acquiring HIV infection/AIDS if needles or other injection equipment are shared.

High doses of crack and/or prolonged use can trigger paranoia. Smoking crack can produce a particularly aggressive paranoid behavior in users. When addicted individuals stop using crack, they often become depressed. This also may lead to further crack use to alleviate depression.

Colorado Drug Rehab is a free service that will help you find a drug rehab for any alcohol or drug addiction problem you or a loved one may be having. It is easy to confuse the different terms used in this field, describing the different types of drug rehab centers, drug rehabilitation centers, and substance abuse treatment programs. For the problem that you are addressing, should you be looking for an Outpatient, In-patient, Residential Treatment Center, Long term or Short term treatment and what modality of treatment is the most effective and what are the cost related to these forms of treatment or rehab.

Colorado Drug Rehab counselors do not subscribe to the disease model which believes that "once an addict, always an addict"! Most programs subscribe to the idea that addiction is a chronic and progressive disease; meaning that there is no cure and that a persons is continually getting sicker throughout his life, even if he isn't using alcohol or other drugs. With a message like this, it is no wonder so few get well. Our staff has reviewed over 150 drug rehab residential programs, on site, and out of those reviewed, we only refer to 13 programs that have proven successful outcomes. When looking for a drug rehab in Colorado, it is smart to talk to one of our counselors that has over 30 years experience in drug rehabs in Colorado and Southwest.