What Is Geeking, and Why Is It Dangerous?

Geeking refers to binging on crack cocaine, that is, using it repeatedly and at higher doses until you run out or get too sick to use any more. The very nature of crack cocaine encourages geeking, and it has become a growing problem with the use of crack. It is also a dangerous pattern of behavior that could even become fatal.

What Is Crack Cocaine?

Cocaine is a drug that comes from the leaves of the coca plant, which is grown in South America primarily and is native to the region. For hundreds of years, locals used coca leaves for medicinal purposes, and in the early 1900s, cocaine made from the leaves was used in the U.S. as a tonic for all sorts of medical conditions. Early versions of Coca Cola had small amounts of cocaine in them, and the adverse effects of the drug were not known.

Crack cocaine was an attempt to come up with a better formulation of cocaine. Snorting cocaine powder over a long period causes damage to the nasal passages and can even deform the face in extreme cases. It is also costly. Crack cocaine was made by mixing cocaine powder with baking soda to form rocks, which is also where crack got the nickname rock that is sometimes used.

This new rock form of cocaine was cheaper than the powder and could be heated up and smoked rather than snorted. What makers did not know at first, however, was that the high produced by smoking crack cocaine is even more addictive than that of cocaine powder. Inhaling the fumes produced by heating the rocks causes a faster and more intense high than snorting cocaine, but the high does not last as long.

The short-lived nature of a crack high makes it almost immediately addictive, leading people to seek more crack almost immediately. Although each dose is cheaper, more crack is typically used, and people quickly run out of money to buy more of the drug. It is common for people who are geeking on crack to steal money from people who are close to them or to commit robberies in order to get money for the drug.

The Dangers of Geeking

Geeking is dangerous because of crack’s effects on the body. High doses of crack can speed up the body’s systems so much that a heart attack or stroke can result from extremely high blood pressure. The body also heats up dangerously. The high itself can lead to poor decision-making, including accident-prone behavior and risky sexual behavior that can result in contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

Excessive crack use can also cause permanent kidney and liver damage. Breathing problems and excessive coughing can also result from geeking. Psychologically, paranoia often results from crack use. A form of extreme paranoia, which is a kind of psychosis, can result in a total loss of touch with reality; fortunately, this is often temporary. Some people become violent and aggressive, and can face legal consequences if they hurt someone while using crack.

Overdose risks increase with geeking, especially if crack use is combined with alcohol or other drugs. Mixing crack with heroin in what is referred to as a speedball has resulted in many fatal overdoses. Some who engage in geeking also become depressed and suicidal, which could also result in a fatality.