Crack cocaine

Crack cocaine is a drug made by modifying cocaine into a free base and then smoking it. It is absorbed rapidly through the lungs and crosses the blood brain barrier easily, leading to an intense, short-lived high. It is extremely addictive and can cause heart attacks.

It became popular in the 1980s, leading to a crime wave. Congress passed a series of laws addressing the crack epidemic, mandating harsh penalties for crack distribution.

It is named crack because the manufacturing process leaves traces of the solvent ether in the crack rocks, and they explode making a crackling noise as it is burned.