

Pay the rent and bills and buy food first.Taking breaks, and using for shorter periods, also helps to soften and shorten the crash that follows a run. Wait 30 minutes or more when you’re using, and a few days or weeks between runs, to give your body and brain a rest. Combining crack with other drugs increases the risks to your health. Help your lips to heal by using lip protector. Avoid burns by wrapping the end of your pipe with a thick rubber band or a rolled up cardboard matchbook. People can catch more than one strain of hepatitis C, so avoid sharing even if you and the person you want to share with are both hepatitis C positive. Even a speck of blood can carry hepatitis C, which can live outside the body for a long time. Using cigarette ash or Brillo as a screen can damage your lungs, and expose you to dangerous toxins. Pyrex pipes are available from harm reduction services. Pipes made of thin glass, plastic, cans or copper add to the dangers of smoking crack. Tell your friends and family you are not using, and ask for their support.


Book into a detox centre for a few days.Stay clear of all other drugs, including alcohol.Attend a self-help group to get support and meet others in recovery.Find out what treatment programs are available.The following strategies can help you to get off crack: The cravings to use may be strong at first, but will fade with time. The first few hours or days after you stop using can be hard to get through, but if you fight the cravings-and keep off the drug-you’ll soon start to feel better. I want to quit using crack, or at least take a break. These cravings may continue for a long time after they stop using. When people use it often and over a long time, and then stop using, strong cravings make them want to use again. They sleep for a long time and wake up very hungry. What happens when people stop using crack?Īfter using crack, people come down or “crash.” The crash makes the world seem grey and sad. Levamisole affects people differently but may cause serious health problems such as infections (fever, chills) or black patches on your skin. Levamisole is a drug that may be present in crack (and powder cocaine) but there is no way to tell. These effects generally go away when they stop using crack. Using crack can make people paranoid, angry and aggressive some people hallucinate or become delusional.Using crack can lead to a stroke, heart attack or seizures, even in healthy people.The more you use, the greater the risk-but even taking the same or smaller amounts than you’ve used in the past can have bad effects. I ’ve used crack and nothing bad happened to me.

Even people who are not ready to give up crack can learn ways to use it more safely, and to plan for the day when they are ready to give it up. The good news is that people can and do stop using crack.
