DrugRehab.com provides information regarding illicit and prescription drug
addiction, the various populations at risk for the disease, current statistics and trends, and
psychological disorders that often accompany addiction. You will also find information on spotting
the signs and symptoms of substance use and hotlines for immediate assistance.
Treatment for addiction takes many forms and depends on the needs of the individual.
In accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we offer information on
outcome-oriented treatment that adheres to an established continuum of care. In this section, you
will find information and resources related to evidence-based treatment models, counseling and
therapy and payment and insurance options.
Treatment for addiction takes many forms and depends on the needs of the
individual. In accordance with the American Society of Addiction Medicine, we offer
information on outcome-oriented treatment that adheres to an established continuum of
care. In this section, you will find information and resources related to evidence-based
treatment models, counseling and therapy and payment and insurance options.
The recovery process doesn't end after 90 days of treatment. The transition back to
life outside of rehab is fraught with the potential for relapse. Aftercare resources such as
12-step groups, sober living homes and support for family and friends promote a life rich with
rewarding relationships and meaning.
Our community offers unique perspectives on lifelong recovery and substance use
prevention, empowering others through stories of strength and courage. From people in active
recovery to advocates who have lost loved ones to the devastating disease of addiction, our
community understands the struggle and provides guidance born of personal experience.
Can You Become Addicted from Smoking Crack for the First Time?
People often think that trying a drug just once can’t hurt them. That is not the case with crack, which creates such an intense and euphoric high that first-time users may spend the rest of their lives trying to recreate it.
Crack cocaine is a powerful drug that, thanks to its short-lasting, intense high, is more addictive than cocaine.
Those with crack use disorders talk about their first hit of crack and how euphoric it was. They say that those who become addicted to crack spend their lives chasing the high from the first good hit of crack they had — also known as a “bell ringer.”
Crack addiction happens quickly. That first hit can quickly spiral into a lifelong addiction.
Crack Is More Addictive than Cocaine
According to multiple studies from government agencies and universities across the country, crack has a higher risk for addiction than cocaine that is snorted or injected.
Crack has the fastest onset of any form of cocaine. When a person smokes crack, it takes only seconds for the drug to reach the brain, whereas when snorting cocaine, it can take up to five minutes for effects to be felt.
“The first hit of it is like nothing else. The world sort of just stops. It’s got this sweet taste to it. It’s very hard to describe, but the world stops, and it’s like you’re in suspended animation.”
Smoking crack is also a much more efficient way to use cocaine. According to researchers at the University of Arizona, cocaine that is smoked has a bioavailability — the percentage of the substance that enters the blood circulation — of about 70 percent versus cocaine that is snorted, which has a bioavailability of about 20 to 60 percent.
So it takes a smaller dose of crack to feel much higher much more quickly than snorting or injecting cocaine.
However, the effects of smoking crack last only about 10 to 30 minutes. The quick onset and short-lasting effects of crack promote repeated and frequent use in one setting, known as a crack binge. Binging leads to more rapid psychological dependence to crack.
Crack Addiction: Chasing the First High
Many of those with crack use disorders talk about how it only took one good hit of crack to become addicted to the drug. The first big hit is known as the ultimate crack experience among those who use the drug.
That first hit creates a euphoria that people addicted to crack say is unmatched by any other feeling in the world. People can become obsessed with recreating the feeling from the first time they smoked crack and spend their lives chasing that feeling. According to Richard Preston, this is what drives crack addiction.
Preston — who has been sober for more than a decade and has authored two books about his own recovery — was a longtime cocaine user before he tried crack. He says he became hooked on the drug immediately after the first hit.
“The first hit of it is like nothing else,” Preston told DrugRehab.com. “The world sort of just stops. It’s got this sweet taste to it. It’s very hard to describe, but the world stops, and it’s like you’re in suspended animation.”
That first euphoria-inducing hit of crack is known as a bell ringer because it clears your head and your ears ring as the drug’s effects take over. The feeling kicks in quickly and doesn’t last long. The effects of the drug are followed by an uncomfortable crash.
The crash causes people to want to use crack again to get the same high as before and to avoid the awful feeling of the crash. Second-time crack users quickly learn they will never again achieve the same feeling they got from their first bell ringer. Preston says chasing that feeling is what keeps people addicted to the drug.
“You can try a million times to get that, but you’ll never get it again,” said Preston.
Real Stories, Real PeopleExperience the journeys of real people who have overcome addiction on their path to happiness.
Read Their Stories
A One-Hit Addiction
Because the first hit of crack is pleasurable and strong, it can instantly create a psychological dependence among first-time users.
As they build up a tolerance to the drug, it takes higher doses of the drug to cause a suitable high. Their euphoria becomes less intense, and the highs begin to fade faster.
As a result, many individuals will go on frequent crack binges to sustain stronger highs for longer periods of time.
People who use drugs such as powder cocaine or marijuana think they can try crack once and be able to put it down and never use it again. This line of thinking has created a wave of crack users that has spanned multiple generations.
Crack is powerful, and once it has someone in its grip, it is incredibly difficult to free them from it. As many former users will tell you, it only takes one hit of crack to derail your entire life.
Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
Trey Dyer is a writer for DrugRehab.com and an advocate for substance abuse treatment. Trey is passionate about sharing his knowledge and tales about his own family’s struggle with drug addiction to help others overcome the challenges that face substance dependent individuals and their families. Trey has a degree in journalism from American University and has been writing professionally since 2011.
Hatsukami, D. & Fischman, M. (1996, November 20). Crack cocaine and cocaine hydrochloride. Are the differences myth or reality? Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8918856
Calls will be answered by a qualified admissions representative with Advanced Recovery Systems (ARS), the owners of DrugRehab.com. We look forward to helping you!
Phone calls to treatment center listings not associated with ARS will go directly to those centers. DrugRehab.com and ARS are not responsible for those calls.
