OFFICIAL NAMES: Powder cocaine, crack cocaine

STREET NAMES: Base, Bernice, blow, "C", coke, dream, dust, flakes, nose candy, Peruvian marching powder, powder, rock, stardust, snow, sugar, the devil's dandruff, white lady

DRUG CLASSIFICATIONS: Schedule II, stimulant

Overview

South Americans in the Andes Mountains legally and liberally chew coca leaves. By adding a little lime or plant ash, the naturally occurring cocaine alkaloid is released and absorbed into the cheek. This has a mild stimulating effect similar to drinking several cups of strong coffee. In this way, the mountain people have combated heat, cold, hunger, and fatigue for over 4,000 years. The leaves are used medicinally to alleviate problems of the digestive system, altitude sickness, and psychological ills. Used in the whole-leaf form, cocaine does not produce a "high" and is not addictive.

Coca leaves were not used in Europe or the United States because coca...