Unfortunately, glass gets hot very quickly and most people who smoke crack will use the drug repeatedly over and over again in a single setting which leads to intense burns on the hands, fingers and lips. Because of the risk of the drug crackling and burning the user or popping right out of the pipe, most users smoke crack out of what is known on the streets as a “crack stem.” This is a long, slender glass tube that allows the user to put the drug deep inside the device so that crackling does not result in the drug being ejected from the pipe. The crackling and popping that occurs when the drug is heated is not only responsible for the drug’s namesake, it can also cause burns on the user’s mouth, lips, hands and face. The substance can also be intravenously injected or snorted but both of these methods of use are far less common. Other names include:Ĭrack is generally smoked using a glass pipe. The name “crack,” according to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, is given to the substance because of the crackling noise that is made when the drug is smoked.
When cocaine is crushed down, mixed with ammonia and baking soda and heated, the substance evolves into a hardened, more potent mixture that can be smoked to produce intense effects. Crack is a powerful stimulant that is made up of a cocaine and baking soda.