Any individual thinking about mixing crack cocaine with alcohol needs to assess the dangers of doing so. There are a multitude of things that can go wrong, including the risk of overdose and even death.
The Effects of Crack and Alcohol Together
Individuals who combine crack and alcohol often do so thinking that it would ease the negative effects that crack has on the body, such as tremors or vertigo. It is important to remember that alcohol can be a stimulant for the nervous system, and having a drink while high on crack can actually intensify its effects. The mixture of crack and alcohol can actually promote euphoria, as well as cause increased talkativeness and heighten the senses.
On the other hand, there are a multitude of negative effects. Crack may enhance alcohol absorption and metabolism leading to intoxication and even alcohol poisoning. There can be a decrease in co-ordination and a loss of inhibitions. There are many possible outcomes of mixing crack and alcohol, and all of them are dangerous.
The Dangers of taking Crack and Alcohol Together
Potentially the biggest danger of mixing crack and alcohol is that in the body the substances combine to create a third chemical, which is very dangerous. The third substance created is cocaethylene. It is produced in the liver and the foremost reason why the effect of crack intensifies and the possibility of sudden death increases. Furthermore, cocaethylene makes the heart vulnerable leading to increased heart and breathing rates.
Additionally, alcohol can work as a sedative when taken with crack. The mixture causes the central nervous system to oscillate between frenzied activity and sedation making the body shut down suddenly. The individual who has taken this mixture is at risk of being unable to wake, and could fall into an unconscious state. Since crack enhances alcohol absorption and metabolism, it takes less alcohol to poison the body and make the individual feel drunk quicker.
Overdose and Death
Most drug overdoses including crack overdoses involve alcohol use. As previously mentioned, the production of cocaethylene in the body worsens the already dangerous nature of an overdose. Keep in mind that crack is an illegal substance and could contain unknown chemicals which could lead to an unexpected lethal dose.
There is an increased likelihood of death when mixing crack and alcohol, due to the heart becoming vulnerable under the stress of all the chemicals in the body.
The conclusion here is that it is never safe to drink alcohol and take crack at the same time. THe combination of the two brings out the worst effects of each drug and the risk of overdose and death is very very high. Entirely avoiding the mixing of crack and alcohol is the only way to evade these risks
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