What Does Cocaine Taste Like? | Identifying Cocaine

Pure cocaine is a white powdery substance used as a stimulant drug to increase social output, cognitive function, and energy.

Regardless of which additives, chemicals, and cutting agents are used in its production, cocaine always has a bitter and numbing taste, similar to that of peppercorns.

Identifying Cocaine By Taste

Cocaine can be identified in a number of ways. The different tastes of certain forms of cocaine are affected by which solvents and cutting agents are used in its production.

For instance, freebase cocaine — while it looks visually identical to pure cocaine — has a more bitter taste due to the acids used to formulate and purify the extract from the coca leaves.

What Powder Cocaine Tastes Like

Powdered cocaine has a numbing, acidic taste that occasionally brings with it a slight flavor of ammonia. Slight tingling and numbing sensations have been reported after oral ingestion.

What Crack Cocaine Tastes Like

Crack cocaine, because it comes in rock form, is almost always smoked and not orally ingested, though it is possible.

Smoking crack cocaine smells results in a burnt-plastic or rubber-like smell and flavor, whereas the unheated substance gives off a faint floral scent.

Factors That Influence The Taste Of Cocaine

There are several factors that influence the taste of cocaine, ranging from additives, cutting agents, and the purity of the coca leaves themselves.

For instance, the most popular cutting agents and solvents used in South America for the initial purification process are cement and kerosene, resulting in a petroleum-like flavor.

While cocaine is known to be bitter regardless of the purity, some street vendors will add numbing agents and other solvents to the mixture.

This results in the same numbing effect — when rubbed onto the gumline for quality testing — while producing a less concentrated substance to drive up profit margins.

Treatment Services For Cocaine Addiction

There are a variety of rehab programs available at most drug treatment centers that can help people battling cocaine use disorders enter into sobriety.

Addiction treatment programs available for cocaine abuse include:

• inpatient and outpatient treatment
• awareness-raising educational programs on drug use
• therapy and counseling programs
• medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
• cocaine detox programs

Find A Cocaine Treatment Program At Bedrock Recovery Center

If you or a loved one are seeking a drug treatment program to help with an ongoing cocaine addiction, give our free helpline a call today to discuss enrollment at Bedrock.