Snorting White Gurl - Getting High Off Cocaine

Rick James almost had it right when he stated, "Cocaine is a hell of a drug." My contention, however, is that cocaine itself is hell. Why, you ask?

My Story

Well, lie down and take a trip with me back to early winter, 2001. It was my second semester as a Visual Communications Design freshman at Purdue University. I was lodged on the third floor of a musky, dilapidated and cramped male residence hall that I referred to as the 'sperm hall.' The dorm rooms smelled like a left butt cheek, the hallways smelled like a right butt cheek, and the lavatory smelled like plain old shit.

Anyway, back then I was a lonely hermit incapable of managing, let alone maintaining, friendships with either men or women. I am still somewhat the same in those regards. The difference is that I am not as emotionally fragile anymore, whereas back then I was a little sap desperate for love and attention. I was so desperate that I turned to cocaine for that feeling of 'love' missing from my life.

It all started when I heard that my dorm neighbor was a notorious dealer who screwed a lot of girls and maintained a thick bank. Intrigued by his prodigious reputation and prestige with the Ladies, I decided to pay him a visit. Vin, as we shall refer to him, turned out to be a shorthaired, wide-chested, and burly young thug.

During our first encounter, I looked Vin in the eye and I asked, "How do you do it, man? How do you get so many girls?"

Grinning, Vin reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag full of what looked like baking soda. "It's called white gurl, bro. You want some love in your life? Then this is what you need, bro. Hot bitches like guys that do white gurl. Trust me, bro. I know! All you do is break it up with a razor and then snort it. Simple as that, bro."

Being the naive schoolboy that I was, I fell for every ounce of his bullshit. I rushed to an ATM, withdraw $500 out of my student loans, and bought an eight ball of cocaine. My journey into hell had begun.

Over the course of the following week, I snorted every last milligram of that coke. It did not help me score with chicks, but at least it made me feel better about myself. I would quickly rush home after class everyday and snort a couple lines. Other students would gather outside my door, listen to me snorting and sneezing, and just laugh. I didn't care though. I was living in a white haze and I didn't even realize it.

As the weekend approached, I ran out of coke and became depressed. Sunday was my 20th birthday and I had no friends, I had no girlfriend, and now I was out of white gurl. I knew what I had to do. I withdraw another $500 and purchased another eight ball. I wasn't about to go through another lonely, depressing, and sad birthday. It was my time to shine.

Sunday night finally arrived. After celebrating my birthday with my parents, I returned back to my dorm. I brought out the bag of coke, pulled it open, and dumped the contents on my desk. It was my birthday and I was going to have fun no matter what. I had already decided that I was going to do it all. I chopped up my first line and got ready to snort. So what that I was all alone? I didn't need friends or a girl because I had my white gurl!

The night progressed and my high gradually grew. By 4 AM, I was stepping outside every 15 minutes to smoke a cigarette. It was freezing cold outside, but I couldn't even feel it. I just wanted to get more high. Close to 6 AM, I finally snorted the last of my coke. By now, I was so high that I couldn't even stop shaking. Writhing in frustration, I stumbled over to Vin's door and knocked. There was no answer. I staggered back into my dorm and hopped onto my bed. I figured that I would just sleep it off. I was quite wrong.

I went through the worst depression of my life that morning. I literally wanted to kill myself. I couldn't fall asleep or stop shocking, I felt miserable, and I was all alone. I finally fell asleep around 11 AM. Unfortunately, I missed all my classes that day. But, when I awoke, I decided that I would never again walk into that hell. My days with white gurl were over.

By now, you are probably wondering what my point is. Before I get to that, let's take a look at some basic facts about cocaine:

What is cocaine?

Cocaine, officially known as Cocaine Hydrochloride, is an extremely addicting white powder extracted from the leaves of the Erthroxylon coca bush. Cocaine can be consumed in one of two ways. Hydrochloride salt, or the white and crystalline powdered form of cocaine, can either be injected into the blood stream or snorted through the nose. Freebase, on the other hand, is a non-salt form of cocaine that can be smoked.

Cocaine is sold in clear sandwich bags on the streets under the nicknames 'blow', 'c', 'coke', 'rock', 'snow', and 'white gurl.' To augment the size of a bag (thereby increasing its value), dealers commonly mix their cocaine with substances such as sugar, talcum powder, or baking soda. Prices typically range between $35 to $50 per gram.

What are the effects of cocaine?

There are two distinct forms of cocaine effects: short-term and long-term.

Short-Term Effects

Short-term effects from cocaine use are noticed almost immediately. Although they aren't necessarily harmful, they have been known to cause serious harm and even death. Cocaine related deaths usually involve cardiac arrest, a seizure, or respiratory failure. The most common short-term effects of cocaine use are:

#1. Increased blood pressure
#2. Increased energy
#3. Increased heart rate
#4. Increased mental acuity
#5. Increased body temperature
#6. Decreased appetite
#7. Dilated pupils

Oftentimes, first-time cocaine users quickly get hooked to the short-term effects of cocaine. They use cocaine to increase work productivity, suppress their appetite, and work more diligently. Although these effects may perhaps seem beneficial at first, studies show that continued cocaine use can and oftentimes does lead people down a treacherous path.

Long-Term Effects

Cocaine users oftentime describe the urge to keep getting high as overwhelming. However, despite the emotions of awe-inspiring ecstasy that cocaine use may conjure, it never produces true and long-term satisfaction. The user is instead left with an irresistible hankering to feel the joy of cocaine use over and over again. This consequently leads to a rapid rise in tolerance and a constant increase of dosage. And as the frequency of cocaine use gradually rises, certain behaviors such as lying, stealing, and skipping work become more and more common. All of this is done in the name of staying forever high.

As cocaine use increases, the potential for long-term effects quickly rises. These include:

#1. Addiction
#2. Auditory hallucinations
#3. Blurred vision
#4. Chest pain
#5. Coma
#6. Convulsions
#7. Depression
#8. Fevers
#9. Gastrointestinal problems
#10. Heart disease
#11. Heart attacks
#12. Irritability
#13. Mood disturbances
#14. Muscle spasms
#15. Nausea
#16. Paranoia
#17. Respiratory failure
#18. Restlessness
#19. Seizures
#20. Strokes

My Point

My point in writing this lengthy article is to show you that using cocaine is a dumb decision that you shouldn't make. I also hope to inspire any cocaine users out there to quit their habit before it overtakes them. To be honest, I was lucky because I realized my mistake early-on. But, how long will you continue snorting and chasing after that high? How much of your life will you ruin before you realize your mistake? The bottom line is that cocaine is extremely harmful to your body, mind, and soul. It's up to you. I hope you make the right decision.