Cocaine cutting. Cocaine cut" by a razor blade on a mirror. At upper right is the tube through which the cocaine will be snorted into the nose of a drug user. During "cutting", the cocaine is chopped to make the powder as fine as possible. Cocaine is an alkaloid drug obtained from leaves of the coca plant Erythroxylon coca. Absorbed into the blood through the nasal membrane, it produces feelings of awakeness, exhilaration and energy. Prolonged use of cocaine leads to anxiety, paranoia, psychological reliance and damage to the lining of the nose. Overdose can result in cardiac arrhythmia, seizure & death."