The Connection Between Cocaine and the Smell of Gasoline
You would think any drug that reminds you of gasoline would be one that you’d want to avoid. However, when it comes to addiction not much will turn you away from getting your fix even if it has a chemical smell. The cocaine smell is a unique one, but you may be wondering: why does cocaine smell like gasoline? Depending on the purity, this drug can smell like a variety of different things.
Powdered cocaine has a bitter odor that can be likened to gasoline or vinegar. Crack cocaine smoke has its own distinct smell that people often compare to burnt plastic. Street drugs are often cut with a number of different additives, so the cocaine smell can vary depending on what is in it.
What The Smell Of Cocaine Can Tell You
When I began my cocaine addiction, I was young enough that I didn’t have a lot of drug knowledge. I had no idea where cocaine came from or how it was produced. I had no idea what the difference between pure cocaine and cut cocaine was. My cocaine abuse lasted for nearly ten years before I finally sought treatment at South Shores Recovery.
So what can the smell of cocaine tell you? Now that I have been clean for an extended period of time, I have done a lot of research on what exactly I had been putting in my body for all those years; and what I found was scary. Keep reading to learn more about the cocaine smell and what you should know about this destructive substance.
Differences Between Powdered Cocaine and Crack Cocaine
Cocaine hydrochloride is derived from the leaves of the coca plant. The coca plant is native to South America. The leaves are chemically treated and processed in order to make the powder version of this powerful stimulant. This pure cocaine is then either sold as is or cut with different substances to maximize profit. This is a common practice on the black market.
Crack cocaine is the solid form of cocaine that is produced by cooking cocaine with baking soda and water. Crack is commonly smoked through a pipe, creating a quicker and more intense high. Crack cocaine is a cheaper form of cocaine, making it more accessible to lower-income communities.
It is important to keep in mind that cocaine production rarely ever takes place in a safe or legitimate environment. This puts consumers at an increased risk of ingesting other chemicals and substances that can be incredibly harmful.
What Does Cocaine Do To The Body?
Cocaine is a Schedule II controlled substance. This means it can be used for medical reasons, but also has a significant risk of abuse. This highly addictive stimulant drug causes a lot of damage to the central nervous system as well as your mental health. Common side effects of cocaine abuse include irregular heartbeat, restlessness, paranoia, elevated body temperature, and muscle spasms.
Smoking crack cocaine in particular can cause serious harm to the lungs and respiratory system. This is especially true if the cocaine has been mixed with other dangerous additives and cutting agents, such as baby powder, various chemicals, and even other substances.
There are health risks associated with any form of drug abuse, but cocaine takes those risks to a whole new level. Beyond the withdrawal symptoms and mental health issues, you can do irreversible damage to your nervous and circulatory systems. This can greatly shorten your life expectancy, especially if you are a long-term addict.
Because cocaine is a stimulant, it can cause its users to stay awake for multiple days at a time. This can lead to insomnia and a disrupted sense of reality. When you stay awake for multiple days in a row you begin to dream while you are still awake. This can heighten your anxiety and paranoia. I used to do it all the time.
What Does Cocaine Smell Like?
The smell of cocaine depends on its purity. Powdered cocaine has a bitter, unpleasant odor that many liken to a chemical-like smell such as gasoline. The reason for this is the many solvents used in the production of cocaine.
These chemicals can cause great damage to the nasal passages when it is snorted. Cocaine producers may even use gasoline or kerosene in order to separate the cocaine base from the coca leaves.
The crack cocaine smell is usually compared to the smell of burning plastic or rubber. Freebase cocaine is created by adding powder cocaine to water and adding ammonia. Because of this process, freebase cocaine powder often has a chemical smell to it.
Liquid cocaine is another form of the drug that is created by dissolving it in water. This is a popular method for smugglers because it can help avoid detection. Liquid cocaine doesn’t usually have much of a recognizable smell to it.
Why Does Cocaine Smell Like Gasoline?
Cocaine can smell like gasoline because of the chemicals used in its production. During the extraction and processing of cocaine from coca leaves, various solvents and chemicals are used, including:
- Gasoline
- Kerosene
- Ether
- Acetone
- Ammonia
These chemicals help extract and refine the cocaine alkaloid, but residues can sometimes remain in the final product, leading to a strong chemical or gasoline-like smell. Poorly processed cocaine may retain more of these solvent residues, making the odor more noticeable.
Living With A Cocaine Addiction
Every day is a struggle to acquire cocaine once you become an addict. Because of its price and availability, you may not always be able to get it from the same source. There is also the element of not knowing exactly what you are ingesting. I’ve done cocaine that kept me up for days, and I’ve also done cocaine that was cut with sedatives and put me to sleep.
You just never know, and there is no way to get pure cocaine on a regular basis unless you are flying to South America yourself. My drug abuse took everything from me. My family, friends, employment, and my good name. As a result of multiple arrests and jail stints, I wasn’t exactly employable.
Dealing with drug dealers isn’t always the funniest situation to be in either. There is always an element of danger when you are associating with people in the world of drug abuse. I’ve seen all types of addictions. The drug does not discriminate. I’ve seen pregnant women smoking crack. I’ve seen teenage children overdose. It’s not a fun life.
What Does It Take For An Addict To Seek Help?
I knew for years that my drug addiction was killing me, but seeking cocaine addiction treatment seemed impossible. I had gone too far down the road of cocaine abuse. I wasn’t able to be saved. This is unfortunately the attitude that a lot of addicts have. You can’t imagine your life without the drug. You’d rather die. Some addicts see the light and get help, while others never give recovery a shot.
In my case, I stayed awake for almost a week smoking crack. I ended up in the hospital because I felt like my heart was going to explode. I was arrested because I had cocaine on me when I arrived at the hospital. I was then given the choice of jail or rehab. Thankfully, I chose drug addiction treatment.
Overcoming Cocaine Abuse: Finding Peace After
When I got to South Shores for treatment, I wasn’t sure what I was in for. Not only had I neglected my physical health for many years, but my emotional health was in the gutter as well. South Shore has a wide variety of mental health services that helped me tremendously. It’s pretty hard to fight addiction unless you have a good head on your shoulders.
Living a drug-free life involves a complete attitude shift. During my cocaine addiction, the only thing that mattered to me was finding the purest form of cocaine that I could. (I never found it, by the way.) Drugs change every aspect of your life and personality. Addiction is a full-time job and there are no breaks or vacations.
Identifying Cocaine Addiction And Seeking Help
A cocaine addiction is hard to hide. If you suspect someone you love may be addicted, your suspicions are probably not coming out of nowhere. I thought I was so slick when I was an addict. I thought I had everyone fooled. The truth is, everyone in my family knew, but there was nothing they could do. Only you have the ability to get clean.
There is only so much you can do to help an addict. But tough love is a good option. Otherwise, you will just get taken advantage of. I took advantage of my family for a long time until they cut me off. It was hard for them, but it ultimately helped me get clean.
If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse, educate yourself and make a plan to seek treatment. Cocaine use is very common, but it doesn’t have to be the end of your story. There are so many people who have gotten clean and gone on to live full, successful lives.
I am one of those people, and I owe it all to the treatment programs at South Shores Detox and Recovery.