Smoking cocaine as crack makes the process more efficient. Unlike the nasal mucosa, the surface area of the lungs is huge. Filled with hundreds of millions of tiny air sacs, the surface area is equal to one side of a tennis court. There’s plenty of room there, and when the vaporized cocaine hits the lungs, it goes right into the bloodstream and up to the brain. It’s a steep slope—a sudden burst—and a big hit to the dopamine system.
