COCAINE
One of the most dangerous and widely abused drugs is cocaine, although they do not produce very severe physical dependent symptoms upon withdrawal. In the early 16th century, Francisco Pizzaro encountered the Inca; he found that royalty used the coca plant. This was the 1st contact Europeans had with this drug. In Peru this was considered to be “the gift of the Gods” (Craving for Ecstasy and Natural Highs: A Positive approach to mood Alteration Milkman, Sunderwirth) and was used in religious ceremonies as well for medicinal purposes. It was claimed to be a brain tunic, and a cure for nervous affliction and in the 19th century was available over the counter and in
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(The Developing Person through the Life Span. Berger 7th Edition pg.386) In my experience, I used cocaine at very early age; this is why I chose this topic. Once I started using, I couldn’t stop and I tried different ways like hanging out with different people, going to different places, doing different things, and even rehab after rehab since the age of 14 did not stop my wanting to use every day. I robbed my parents of money and sleep. I took from them until they had nothing to give. I was dishonest to everyone around me including myself. I was selfish and self-centered to the extreme. I felt like the world owed me something and that the world revolved around me. My family and friends wanted nothing to do with me. They disowned me, took my daughter from me, and put me out on the street. It was at that point that I felt hopeless and depressed and was willing to do something different. I had no idea at the time that God was going to change my life dramatically. I went to an NA meeting, and a woman there shared her story. It gave me hope and a will to live and even though I didn’t know if I wanted to stop drinking and using forever, I did know I didn’t want to die anymore. That to me was the biggest miracle I had ever felt. This woman became my sponsor and gave me love and compassion and best of all clear-cut directions on how to live a clean and sober life. The only treatment options I know that work are the 12 steps and
Cummins opens her article by using an introductory statement which states that some staples and household products now stored in an individual’s fridge or cabinets, were used in “extraordinary (and often totally absurd) medicinal contexts” in the past. She continues by giving the most popular example of such products, which is Coca-Cola, a sugary soda originally marketed as a nerve tonic. Additionally, she discusses the advertisement of this drink, which contained a few milligrams of cocaine per glass, as a method for the enhancement of intellectual capacity, exhaustion relief as well as emotional management in
Did you know in December 1985 news broke of cocaine (crack) being trafficked by the Contras into inner city neighborhoods especially predominantly black neighborhoods? That fueled the crack epidemic in the 80’s and 90’s. This scandal shaped then President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) second term because he and his vice president George H.W Bush denied knowing about this deal. This brings up the question should have the government held those responsible criminally liable for this.
The scientific interest in cocaine was part of an awakening of Peruvian scientific nationalism. Lima’s medical elites and modern chemistry transformed the coca plant into medicinal cocaine in the nineteenth century. Peruvians took an herb that held deep cultural meanings in Incan history and changed it into an exclusive and modern good. This early study of coca combined science and patriotism. Peruvian scientist’s proximity and experiences lent a privileged place as compared to scientists in Europe. With help from Peruvians like Moreno y Maíz and J. C. Ulloa, elite scientific nationalism made local and traditional coca and universal and scientifically modern cocaine into national subjects, or what Gootenberg calls “highland
While some outstanding medications, for example, cocaine had been a staple fixing in a few items, including the first incarnation of Coca Cola which was then known as Cocaine Cola and used for migraine help, there was not boundless recreational medication use. Drug utilize had a tendency to be used by people in expressions of the human experience who wished to enhance innovativeness (Schmalleger, 2009).
This experience has changed the way I see those who haven’t had enough and those who haven’t found away out of the addicted world. I’ve learned there is more to a person than their appearance and in these cases there is a lot of hurt and anger in their souls. Even after recovery some people still carry around guilt and anger. Some are ashamed because they let something affect them in a way in which they lost control. Others are angry at
“Cocaine is a naturally occurring chemical found in the leaves of Erythroxylum coca or coca plant, which is native to South America” (Cocaine Hydrochloride). The leaves of the coca plant
Cocaine is a naturally occurring substance deriving from the Erythroxylum coca plant. The coca plant is autogenous to Indonesia, South America, Mexico and the West Indies. Historically, many cultures have utilized coca leaves for religious and ceremonial applications. Cocaine itself remains prevalent in literary and artist works of many cultures and continues to be represented in archeological finds around the world. In South America the leaves were often chewed to help the indigenous tribes overcome hunger. To many other civilizations it was considered a sacred gift from the gods. Cocaine was often used as local anesthetic for a plethora of ailments.
Cocaine originated from South America, from coca leaves. Originally, the coca leaves were chewed by workers to decrease fatigue, improve endurance and have a greater resistance to the cold. This was to benefit the workers so they could work longer hours and be more productive. In 1855 the active ingredient in cocaine was isolated from the leaves, and in 1880 it was used as a local anesthetic (Nunes,2006). It was also used in coca cola. In 1855, coca cola was a soda beverage that contained sixty milligrams of cocaine for every eight ounces of the beverage. The idea behind this was to give people energy and a sense of well being (Nunes, 2006). By the late 1880s Sigmund Freud was using cocaine regularly and was even recommending it to others.
The coca leaf does not yield the potency to deliver any type of overwhelming effect. The coca leaf in natural form gives the similar effect that a well caffeinated cup of coffee would (Arts and Entertainment Network). It wasn’t until Albert Niemann, a German scientist, extracted and processed the coca leaf ingredients, would it become a potent drug. In 1860, Niemann would rename the results of his extraction, cocaine (Arts and Entertainment Network).
Cocaine, a narcotic drug that took the entire world by storm in the 1980’s, has continued to find it’s way into countries all over the world. The drug is a highly addictive stimulant that is extracted from the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca bush, which is indigenous to the Andean highlands of South America. It comes in two main forms, powder and crystalline, also known as “crack” (“Cocaine Use and Its Effects”). Although the short term effects of cocaine seem somewhat harmless, the long term effects are devastating and have ruined the lives of many users. The short and long term effects of cocaine can be seen on Ishmael Beah, and his companions in the novel A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah.
What is Cocaine? Cocaine is the most powerful stimulant of natural origin. It is taken from the leaves of the coca plant which is native to the Andean highlands of South America. It is a potent brain stimulant and one of the most addictive drugs. In ancient times, South American natives used coca for religious and medicinal purposes. The natives took advantage of cocaine’s stimulant properties to fight fatigue and hunger or to enhance endurance.
ol. Crack cocaine is a serious threat in common abused drug in South Carolina is marijuana but its use is not associated with crimes (Drug interventions.net, n.d.). In Cherokee County the population reported to smoke cigarettes was 28% and 20% was noted for the state (County health rankings, 2015).
Drugs have a particularly interesting history within the United States. Many of the well-known and highly addictive narcotics of today like heroin, cocaine, and opium, were previously used in a variety of mundane ways. They were present in drinks and in health tonics/elixirs for treatment of an array of illnesses and as pain relief (“What is Cocaine?”, 2016). Perhaps the most consumed soft drink of all time, Coca Cola, derived its name from the coca plant – giving a glimpse into its cocaine containing past. However, it was not soon after, that drugs began to lose their credibility about their effectiveness in food and medicine. By the early 1900s, they were
The shrubs and plants from which both drugs are derived from and processed has been well known in Colombia for centuries, but until the 1970s drug refiners and traffickers had not taken full advantage. The chewing of coca
Addiction is a disease that I will battle for the rest of my life. After being sexually assaulted at the age of twelve, I started to self-destruct. Lack of parental support, less than pristine living conditions, and an addictive personality paved an expressway to a life of addiction. I chose to hang with undesirable people, and was introduced to Marijuana, LSD, Ecstasy, PCP, Cocaine, Heroin and eventually what became the love of my life, the prescription painkiller Morphine. Never did I think that trying pot would have a domino effect. It led me to try harder and more addictive substances ultimately turning my life upside down. Often publicly