Cocaine and pregnancy
Using cocaine when you are pregnant may increase the chance of losing the baby before it is born, having the baby too early and other problems.
Babies of cocaine-using mothers tend to weigh less and may get withdrawal symptoms from the mother’s cocaine use. Little is known about the long-term effects on the child as it grows.

Cocaine and the law
Using cocaine is illegal. If you use, sell or give cocaine to someone else and get caught, you could face substantial fines and penalties including a prison sentence.

Cocaine and driving
Cocaine can make you feel more confident when you drive. This can make you take dangerous risks and have accidents. It is illegal to drive under the influence of drugs, including cocaine.
Penalties include losing your licence, a fine and/or jail.

Tolerance and dependence
Anyone can develop a ‘tolerance’ to cocaine. Tolerance means that you must take more of the drug to feel the same effects you used to have with lower amounts.
‘Dependence’ on cocaine means that it takes up a lot of your thoughts, emotions and activities.
Dependence on cocaine can lead to a variety of health, money, legal, work and relationship problems. Not all people who use cocaine are dependent.

Withdrawal
Cocaine-dependent people may find it very hard to stop using or cut down because of withdrawal symptoms.
These can include:

• wanting cocaine very badly (cravings)
• feeling angry or upset
• feeling sick
• vomiting
• shaking
• tiredness
• weakness
• hunger
• long but disturbed sleep
• muscle pain
• deep depression (feeling very down or sad)
• wanting to kill yourself.

These symptoms are usually fairly short-lived and most withdrawing people don’t need medication.
However, if you are worried about withdrawal, contact your doctor or health centre.