And ‘too much money’ is exactly what you need to have if you’re planning to snort some of the ‘white stuff.’

C FOR... CASH

At last check, cocaine was being sold for anywhere between Rs 3000-5000 per gram. A regular user who’s been snorting for a year would require a daily fix of at least 2 grams — Rs 10,000. ‘‘I was an unwelcome guest inside the washroom of a well-known lounge bar recently,’’ says Kartik Verma, a banker. ‘‘And of course, money is no bar at all. What is... ... 10 grand to someone who has a turnover in crores? Cocaine is the habit of the super-rich,’’ says a party animal who’s ‘‘tried it once.’’ Bollywood insiders speak of a star son and a star daughter who do drugs regularly on the party circuit, and a big star who is known to throw parties where alcohol is passe and cocaine is openly passed around for the guests.

C FOR... CHARLIE

Coke, Charlie, C, White Horse — these are some of the common names for cocaine. Crack is an adulterated form of cocaine which is called so because of the sound it makes when it is smoked. ‘‘You have to be introduced to the pusher by someone who’s already in the coke circle,’’ says in insider on the circuit. ‘‘There’s generally a code word that you need to give before the dealer will talk shop.’’

C FOR... COOL QUOTIENT

Snorting up is more of a lifestyle trend than anything else in the metros. Check out the scene in a washroom in a city nightspot, post a fashion even: ‘‘If you’re doing it, do it right girl,’’ laughs a stylist. She’s teaching an upcoming model how to snort up — both are in one cubicle and the giggling doesn’t seem to stop. The model, having managed to do it right has finally arrived!

C FOR... CELEBRITY

This comes close on the heels of fashion choreographer Prasad Bidapa getting caught at the Dubai airport for alleged possession of drugs. Film industry insiders say the use of drugs is a done thing in Bollywood. Alcohol is a thing of the past. It’s cocaine and designer drugs that have been... .. the in thing for years now. The ‘inner circle’ is treated to the best drugs money can buy. But most are not addicts. It is just another way of bonding,’’ says a prominent film-maker.

C FOR... CURE?

Cocaine stimulates the reward-centre in one’s brain — otherwise stimulated by good work, great sex and the like — with an insistence that is unmatched. All other drugs fail in comparison — which is the basis of the chemical dependence on coke. Repeated use leads to a higher level of tolerance that requires larger doses of the substance to pacify the psychological addiction.’’

C FOR... CRIME

Many had to be sent home in police vans as they were too high to walk or drive. Police sources in Mumbai say that several film personalities host parties at their bungalows and farm houses, where cocaine is available freely to the guests. ‘‘We have just heard about such parties. But we have never been able to nab a drug user. Many times, we have gatecrashed into a party. But the addicts are smarter and they dispose off the cocaine when they see the cops,’’ a deputy commissioner stated. ‘‘If a small quantity of drug is found on a person and if the court is convinced that the narcotic was meant for personal consumption, the accused can be jailed for upto a year. But in most cases the person is awarded a sentence for a couple of months. If the accused pleads before court that he wishes to be rehabilitated in a deaddiction centre even that sentence is waived.’’ For drug peddling or trafficking, a person can be jailed for upto 10-20 years and pay a fine of Rs One lakh or upwards. Repeat convicts in trafficking cases face a death sentence, he adds.

(With inputs from Somit Sen, Meena, Farida and Aneesh — Mumbai; Vinita A Shetty — Bangalore)