Impurities

People who take coke get much more than just cocaine – with an average purity of 15% (some cocaine can be as low as 1% pure), users have to ask themselves what’s the rest made up of?

Chemicals cut with cocaine can include:

• Benzocaine (local anaesthetic)
• Phenacetin (used as a pain killer until it was linked with cancer)
• Diltiazem (used to treat heart conditions)
• Hydroxyzine (used to treat anxiety disorders)
• Mannitol (artificial sweetener that can act as a laxative)

When cocaine enters the country it’s usually around 60% pure,  Dealers alter its purity so the amount of coke is more than halved by the time it gets to users.

Sometimes coke is cut with local anaesthetic, which can make your mouth and gums go numb, fooling you into thinking you have bought ‘high quality’ coke.