How cocaine is abused

• Dabbing: Cocaine can be rubbed on to the gums
  • is a local anaesthetic and the effects are similar but enhanced in comparison to chewing the coca leaf
    
    
• Snorting: Cocaine is most commonly snorted in its hydrochloride powder form
  
  
• Piping: Crack is most commonly smoked through a pipe
  • the quickest way to get the drug to the brain. Glass pipes, tin cans and water bottles are used
    
    
• Injecting: Cocaine hydrochloride is soluble in water and can be injected
  • crack or freebase must be reconverted to a salt to become soluble and capable of injection using citric or ascorbic acid. The effects are very slightly less euphoric though slightly longer lasting than piping
    
    
• Chasing: Crack can be chased on tin foil with heat applied from below, in the same way as heroin. Rocks are crushed to increase surface area
  
  
• Smoking/chipping: involves flaking bits of cocaine or crack into the top of a cigarette ‘joint’ and typically occurs in lower dose use

Reference:

• (1) RCGP (2004). Guidance for working with cocaine and crack users in primary care