Smoked Cocaine

Patterns of Use and Pulmonary Consequences

Bibliographic Data

ID13914223
AuthorsM Elena Khalsa (corresponding author), Donald P Tashkin (0000-0002-5607-4872, University of California, Los Angeles), Brian Perrochet (University of California, Los Angeles)
Year1992
Volume24
Issue3
Pages265-272
Publication date1992-07-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Psychoactive Drugs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0279-1072 • E-ISSN: 2159-9777
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/02791072.1992.10471647
PMID1432405
OpenAlexW2026447384
LanguageEN
References cited24

This article offers a perspective on the use of volatilized alkaloidal cocaine in its freebase and crack forms and on the pulmonary consequences of such use. The inhalational route of administration of freebase and crack cocaine exposes the lung to their combustion products, raising concern about possible adverse pulmonary effects. A brief historical review of cocaine and its methods of use precedes the presentation of data concerning current modes and patterns of use and some pulmonary complications of crack and freebase use. Results from a systematic study of a large sample of cocaine users document a high frequency of occurrence of acute respiratory symptoms in temporal association with cocaine smoking. No relationship was detected between the prevalence of acute pulmonary symptoms and identifiable aspects of techniques of cocaine administration. These results suggest that the respiratory consequences of alkaloidal cocaine are most likely attributable to the inhaled cocaine itself, rather than to variable characteristics of usage

Adverse effect · Anesthesia · Cocaine use · Crack cocaine · Intensive care medicine · Psychiatry · Respiratory system · Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis · Medicine · Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior · Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study · Internal Medicine

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