Maximum effects occur 15 to 30 minutes after use, and last for about an hour. The high from snorting cocaine peaks more quickly than the high from leaf chewing, but it also goes away quickly, leaving the user with feelings of depression. Many cocaine users try injecting cocaine to get high faster. The high is more intense, but lasts only up to a half hour. People who inject cocaine are at high risk for contracting AIDS, hepatitis, and many other diseases.
Smoking is the most rapid and dangerous method of taking cocaine.
A user smoking crack or freebase cocaine gets a peak effect almost instantly because the lungs are highly efficient at absorbing cocaine vapors from breathed air. This is the most intense cocaine high available as well as the shortest. Crack smokers are the most likely of any cocaine user to develop dependence. Cocaine abuse and treatment. Medical complications of illicit cocaine use.