Coke, snow, flake, blow

Brief Description
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive central nervous system stimulant that is snorted, injected, or smoked. Crack is cocaine hydrochloride powder that has been processed to form a rock crystal that is then usually smoked.

Street Names
Coke, snow, flake, blow

Effects
Cocaine usually makes the user feel euphoric and energetic, but also increases body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate. Users risk heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures, abdominal pain, and nausea. In rare cases, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or unexpectedly afterwards.

Statistics and Trends
In 2009, 4.8 million Americans age 12 and older had abused cocaine in any form and 1.0 million had abused crack at least once in the year prior to being surveyed.

Source:
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Web Site).

The NIDA-funded 2010 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 1.6% of 8th graders, 2.2% of 10th graders, and 2.9% of 12th graders had abused cocaine in any form and 1.0% of 8th graders, 1.0% of 10th graders, and 1.4% of 12th graders had abused crack at least once in the year prior to being surveyed.

Source:
Monitoring the Future
(University of Michigan Web Site).

******
A drunk stumbles down the street, one
foot on the curb, one in the gutter.
A cop pulls up and says:
I’m taking you in, pal. You're drunk!
Are you sure? he slurs.
Yeah, buddy, you smell like a brewery!

Let's go! Breathing a sigh of relief, the
drunk says,Thank gawd!
I thought I was crippled!

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PAPERS, PLEASE!
No! Not to prove your citizenship this time...
To VOTE!
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