Erowid Cocaine Vault : Bits & Pieces

Cocaine

Bits & Pieces

by Erowid

The "Bits & Pieces" section is intended for random snippets of information which don't fit
easily elsewhere and/or which have been newly added, but not yet carefully categorized.

Cocaine is somewhat hygroscopic (attracts water)
Cocaine powder/crystal is hygroscopic ("water seeking"), meaning that it will absorb water out of humid air. Cocaine left sitting out exposed to air will often cake up and need to be rechopped before use.
Uncut Cocaine HCl is pearlescent
Uncut, high quality Cocaine HCl has a pearlescent appearance. The surface of a chunk should have a shimmery quality rather than being dull. See Example Image.
Shared Straws Can Spread Blood Diseases Such As Hepatitis C
Just as shared needles can spread blood diseases between people, so can shared straws. A study by Bonkovsky and Mehta published in Am Acad Dermatol (2001 Feb;44(2):159-82) reported that blood and mucus on shared straws can spread blood diseases such as Hepatitis C between those who share the straw.