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Crack cocaine: evidence based, credible and accurate harm reduction information
Jon Derricott, Exchange Supplies
This presentation will explain how crack is manufactured, how it's prepared for injection, and what happens when it's mixed with heroin. It will include extensive video footage of crack manufacture (ammonia and bicarbonate methods) and preparation for injection (on it's own, and as a speedball) commissioned especially for this conference.
Presenter: Jon Derricott
Abstract
With crack cocaine and speedball injecting continuing to rise, this presentation will present the results of a video study that examines crack manufacture and it¹s preparation for injection.
It will give practitioners evidence based information that addresses key
questions for drug using clients with clarity and confidence, including:
- How much citric is needed to make crack cocaine soluble;
- What happens to crack in water if you heat it and don't add an acid;
- Cutting crack with wax, myth or reality?;
- Why crack sometimes goes lumpy and re-forms; and
- What steps injectors can take to reduce risks when preparing a speedball.
Summary of presentation and findings
What we saw happening was:
Crack heated alone with water melted as expected (around 98ºc) and reformed as expected (reforming took only 14 seconds!). The reformed crack would not then go into solution at all, even after adding 5 times as much citric to crack by weight! Heating it past its boiling point had made it insoluble – don’t know why, but that’s what happens.
Crack heated together with citric was also problematic – it took on a slushy (wallpaper pastey) look and was similarly insoluble.
Crack dropped into warm water with citric, dissolved without much problem – the only problems were that it ‘smeared’ on the bottom of the spoon and took some work to incorporate into solution (increasing the amount of citric seemed to make this a bit easier, but it would dissolve with smaller amounts).
Crack dropped into cold water with citric dissolved straightforwardly – if anything, it was easier than using warm water.
The ratio of citric to crack needed was consistently about 1 to 2. So, for example 100mg of crack dissolved using around 50mg citric (about half a sachet). Solutions prepared using this ratio ended up between pH 4-5, or to express it another way, less acidic than heroin alone might be when prepared optimally (which should be in the pH 2-3 range).
The cold prep method also worked for speedball preparation. I found that it was possible to prepare a speedball by cold preparing the crack , scrupulously ensuring that all of it had gone into solution and then subsequently adding the heroin, direct heat and a few more grains of citric if required – once the crack was properly in solution it tolerated heating fine. These solutions were very stable and were stored for a couple of weeks for pH testing. They stayed perfectly in solution.
So, what are the harm reduction lessons from this?
1) Heat & warmth doesn’t help crack go into solution, the cooler the solution the better.
2) Cold prep may also help people to use less acid because it goes into solution more easily.
3) 1 part citric to 2 parts crack will enable it to go into solution (adding more may make it happen a bit quicker, but will also probably result in more likelihood of vein damage).
4) The oily ‘gloop’ that forms when too much heat is used may well be one source of the idea that crack is cut with wax. I think it would be good practice when people report ‘oil’, ‘wax’ or ‘gloop’, to discuss their prep with them. If they describe using direct heat or a very hot mix, I’d suggest they try the cold prep method described above.
Biography
With a background in nursing, Jon has worked in the drugs field for over 15 years.
After working for Wirral Drug Service, Jon became training and development manager for HIT - during which time he was lead author of The Safer Injecting Briefing and helped to develop many HIT publications and a varied training programme.
He has since worked with Exchange Supplies to develop the distribution of injecting paraphernalia throughout the UK and as a freelance trainer. Jon was a founder member of the UK Harm Reduction Alliance.
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