In the world of substance use, there are many different terms and phrases that can be perplexing if you don’t understand the context behind them. Some terms are known as “street names.” Street names are nicknames given to a substance to disguise what is being talked about to those who aren’t in the know. Buy 8 ball of cocaine
Other terminology might include phrases regarding the effects of a drug, paraphernalia used to consume a substance, or terms used to describe people who partake in certain substances. Which of these categories does an “8 ball” fall into?
The term 8 ball is unique to cocaine and refers to a specific, common measurement of the substance. An 8 ball is 1/8th of an ounce, or 3.5 grams, of cocaine.
Cocaine is often sold in low quantities both due to its price and also because of the quantity needed to experience a high. Most often, cocaine is sold by its weight and is most commonly sold in grams.
There aren’t many other common terms for specific measurements of cocaine, except for one. This term is a “bump” of cocaine and refers to a very small quantity of cocaine. A bump is enough for a single “hit” of cocaine and can be as little as 0.1 grams of cocaine. This is sometimes given out by dealers for free as a way for potential buyers to “test drive” the substance and increase the chances of buying.
While there isn’t a specific term for it, cocaine can sometimes be sold by the kilo. This often happens between dealers and suppliers rather than a customer buying a kilo of cocaine at a time.
Hearing the term “3.5 grams” is not easy to visualize unless you often work with other things measured in grams, like sugar.
To give you visual context, 1 teaspoon is often equal to about 4 grams.
An 8 ball of cocaine is made from the powdered form of cocaine. This means it will often be a fine, white to off-white powder. Most often 8 balls are sold in small, poly zip bags.
The price of any substance fluctuates just as much as the cost of other things in our society. The United Nations, however, keeps a record of the average price of many different substances across the globe over the years.
In 2010 the average cost of cocaine per gram in the United States was about $84. As of 2021, the cost of a gram is about $120, making an 8 ball of cocaine cost approximately $420.
Why has the price of cocaine changed so much over the past decade? Are there ways to track these trends or are the prices increased arbitrarily?
Just like the cost of groceries and rent, the cost of substances can also change because of economic influences. Drug dealers don’t want to lose out on their profit, so if the cost of production goes up, they’re likely to just raise their prices.
Other factors like scarcity and popularity can also make the price of substances like cocaine rise and lower. Prices may also vary from state to state or even town to town.
To discuss the side effects of an 8 ball of cocaine we must first establish what’s considered to be a common quantity of cocaine consumed in one sitting.
As we mentioned earlier, a “bump” of cocaine is often considered to be equal to one “hit” of cocaine. A single hit of cocaine is enough to experience the side effects of cocaine use. If one hit is equal to 0.1 grams of cocaine, this would make an 8 ball of cocaine equal to 35 hits of cocaine.
Cocaine use as a whole already comes with a list of potential side effects, both short-term and long-term. The short-term side effects are experienced during the duration of cocaine consumption, often lasting anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on how it’s taken. During the short-term people experience increased energy, euphoria, decreased appetite, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, dilated pupils, and increased heart rate.
If you consume larger quantities of cocaine, not only will you experience the aforementioned side effects, but you run the increased risk of experiencing other effects. This includes more intense side effects like paranoia, muscle twitches, vertigo, and erratic behavior, but also an increased risk of overdose.
Cocaine is a stimulant substance, meaning it speeds up some of the systems within our body. This correlates directly to how the symptoms of a cocaine overdose will manifest, setting them apart from depressant-based substance overdoses like opioids.
In the event of a cocaine overdose, people may experience symptoms such as:
Whether someone is experiencing an overdose or not, if the side effects of substance use ever appear life-threatening, don’t be afraid to call for medical help. The Good Samaritan Law prevents you from being legally prosecuted for seeking medical help for a substance use related incident.
