Cutting agents for cocaine
Cocaine is produced from the leaves of the coca plant (Erythoxylon Coca). The plant grows almost exclusively in northern and western South America. Colombia is now the leading producer of illegal cocaine with Peru, Bolivia and Chile providing significant quantities of the drug. The coca plant grows best in the mountainous and jungle areas of these countries.
Hand-picked coca leaves are dipped in gasoline and other chemicals to extract the coca base from the leaves. The wet leaves are then pressed or dried, resulting in powdered leaves from which they are then extracted. Some people use other substances to mix with cocaine to increase its overall weight, these are called cutting agents.
Some of the substances used to mix with cocaine are harmless, but some can be harmful and cause their own health problems.
The most common substances used to mix with cocaine are: baking soda, teething powder (since it is tasteless and numbs the gums in the same way as cocaine), baby milk, powdered milk, salts of Epsom and quinine.
The person who mixes a cutting agent with cocaine tends to use an odorless and tasteless substance, so the user is not aware that a cutting agent has been used. Therefore, substances such as dextrose, creatine, glucose, lactose, and powdered vitamins are avoided as cutting agents, as the user will taste them and believe that the cocaine is not of good quality.
On very rare occasions, rat poison can be used as a cutting agent for cocaine, which can be lethal. Other illegal drugs, such as amphetamine (Speed) and other powder drugs, can also be used as cutting agents, as they produce a cocaine-like high and can cause side effects other than those experienced with cocaine .
Cocaine is a very addictive substance and the euphoria is very short lived, lasting anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes and the user is “high” for hours after use, so they want more.
I would advise anyone with a drug addiction to seek help as soon as possible, as seeking help is the first step in overcoming a drug addiction.
If you or a loved one is planning to quit using cocaine, there is plenty of help to be found on the web. You can also seek professional advice or perhaps go to a rehab clinic or even see your family doctor and they might be able to point you in the right direction.