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Rocking Tina

I had a horrible comedown with tina so I have sworn off of it. I haven’t done any in about 3 months. In it’s place, I occasionally (and I do mean occasionally) smoke rock instead. Unfortunately, I still associate sex with drugs and I find that rock is a similar experience to tina but I now I can sleep afterwards and still have an appetite. However, as we all know, rock has a terrible social stigma. I realize this is a “tina” website, but I already know a few guys, like myself, who are switching as I have to avoid tina at any cost. I’d love to know more about rock (I’m not even sure what’s in it) and how it compares to tina (physiological effects). Thanks!
- G.M.

Response from: NICK

“Rock” is typically a slang term used for crack cocaine. I am therefore going assume that this is what you have been using. Crack cocaine is a smokable form of cocaine powder. Both cocaine and Tina are stimulant drugs that do have some of the same effects in the body, so you may feel a similar buzz when you first get high with each… There are real differences though.

Cocaine is a stimulant that works primarily on brain transmitter called dopamine. Tina works on a number of neurotransmitters but also works on dopamine. Dopamine is a brain chemical involved in the pleasure and reward systems of the brain… it makes you feel good. Therefore, release of this neurotransmitter by either Tina or cocaine may make you feel euphoric. A big difference with these two drugs is the size of the effect that they have on the release of dopamine. Some studies have estimated that Tina releases 4-5 times the amount of dopamine that cocaine does.

Another difference between Tina and cocaine is how long it takes for your liver and kidneys to process the drugs and clean them out of your body. Cocaine is cleared much more quickly which is why most people snorting or smoking cocaine will take more again relatively soon after the first dose… the effects don’t last too long and you may feel like doing more to keep feeling high. Tina takes a lot longer to get out of the body which is why the high usually last a lot longer. This may account for why you can sleep and eat more easily after using rock versus Tina.

One of the concerns with crack is that the effects typically wear off very quickly and you might be tempted to smoke more again. Because smoking is the fastest way to deliver a drug to your brain, the initial rush that you get from a drug is most intense when smoked. This can also make the come down rougher and may make using a drug this way more addictive than using it other ways (like snorting or swallowing). Because it is a very short acting high, you may end up smoking a lot over a small period of time.

With any stimulant drugs you may run the risk of feeling anxious, paranoid or even experience “psychosis” if you ingest too much or stay high for a long period of time. Smoking stimulant drugs and sharing pipes may also pose and additional risk for disease transmission. So to be safer, watch for cracked, chapped or burned lips, stay hydrated, use lip balm and, better still, use your own pipe.

TIP: Check out erowid.org and do a search for more information on “rock”. That website is full of all kinds of useful information!