Cocaine Research Paper

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.

Cocaine is one of the oldest, most powerful and most dangerous stimulants in the world. This powerfully addictive drug effects over 35 million people In the United States. Cocaine addiction prevents a person from being a productive member in our society. It also increases the cost for law enforcement and treatment facilities. It rapidly decreases the workplace, increases the homeless rate and needless deaths on a daily basis.

"Cocaine and crack are among the most addictive substances known to modern science, and they have already ruined the lives of millions of Americans" (Morganthau and Miller, 208). Cocaine and crack are both dangerous, harmful drugs. Though pleasurable effects can be obtained from these drugs, the use of crack and cocaine cannot be worth the actual consequences that are inflicted on mind and body. The bad effects of these drugs, by far outweigh the good. Because crack and cocaine are so closely related, it is important to have a firm understanding of both drugs.

During 1984 through 1994, 10 years into The Crack Epidemic, the homicide rate of African American males aged 14-17 doubled. Along with an increase of African American children in foster care, fetal death rates and weapon arrests. Roles lost in families and the community. Health and lifestyle of the African American communities depleting due to the powerful affects of crack cocaine. The African American community has been significantly affected by The Crack Epidemic in the areas of health and culture as a result of where the source of crack cocaine introduced itself in America, laws surrounding crack cocaine and the perception of the drug.

The impact of cocaine addiction or dependence on increased crime rates and criminal activity is attributed to the link between the drug and a significant number of illegal activities. Apart from being associated with increased violent activities, cocaine dependence has also resulted in increased homicide and suicide. A study in New York City demonstrated that homicide deaths were strongly linked to cocaine or its metabolite (Morton, 1999, p.111). In the survey, most of the victims and perpetrators of homicide tested positive for cocaine use. Cocaine dependence or addiction may contribute to suicide because of the probability of the user to suffer from depression, which tends to occur frequently among cocaine users.

For short-term use, cocaine can provide extreme happiness, enhanced sensitivity to sound and touch or mental alertness. People takes cocaine as it can provide energy on their work but a long-term use of cocaine may lead to malnourishment, irritability, restlessness, paranoia and auditory hallucination (NIDA, 2016; Roncero, C., et al., 2013). Also, cocaine abuse may have other complications such as nosebleed because of snorting, difficulties in swallowing and easily infected by HIV or hepatitis C through needle injection and the misjudgment on having unsafe sex (NIDA, 2016). On the other hand, long-term use of cocaine may lead to addiction and a stronger dosage will be taken when they have any withdrawal symptoms. For instance, symptoms of depression, fatigue and increased appetite. Nowadays, still no medicines were approved for treating the addiction on cocaine and thus the treatment of cocaine addiction is

One of the most detrimental and addictive narcotics in the world today is cocaine. Cocaine dates back as early as 3000 BC. Ancient Incas used the coca leaves to counter the effects of living in thin mountain air. Native Peruvians in the 1500’s chewed the plant strictly for religious ceremonies. Andean Indians are believed to chew the leaves of the coca plant to increase their energy for work while decreasing their hunger and pain. It wasn’t until 1859 when a German chemist Albert Niemann successfully extracted the narcotic from the coca leaf. In the 1880’s, it was freely prescribed by physicians for “maladies as exhaustion, depression, and morphine addiction and was available in many patent medicines” (“Cocaine”), until users and doctors began to realize its dangers and side effects. While it was not fully understood at the time, cocaine has many devastating and lasting effects on the user.

Cocaine’s mode of action has been shown to involve the dopamine receptors. This paper will discuss how cocaine affects dopamine receptors, the mode of addiction, how cocaine affects the frontal brain metabolic activities, as well as the role of excitatory amino acids in cocaine’s mechanism. I will also discuss how cocaine affects another system through its mechanism on the brain—the renin angiotensin system.

Cocaine usage is not as popular today as it was back in the 1900s but it continues to be abused as it was then. The drug has become addictive to those that used the drug intravenously, and free base (smoking crack). It has been said that individuals who try cocaine by inhaling, injecting, snorting would become addicted by using it for the first time. The individuals try to capture the pleasure or that high he/she first got when using the drug, the psychological effects of cocaine, addiction and dependence reports “only about 10 to 15% of those who initially try cocaine intranasally become abusers” (Gawin, 1991, p.1584).

Crack cocaine, aka benzoylmethylecgonine, is one of the most addicting and deadly drugs. It has many negative effects on the body, especially the nervous system. The effects on the user are usually long-lasting and irreversible. It is classified as a stimulant drug, meaning that it excites any bodily function. Stimulants usually target more of the brain and nervous system, which can cause higher alertness, an elevated mood, wakefulness, increased speech and motor activity and a decrease in appetite. Crack cocaine has many nicknames, which includes crack, snow coke, nose candy, and stardust. Crack cocaine can be used in various ways, for example it could be snorted with its original white powder, smoked, or injected directly into the bloodstream. It is mainly snorted so it can be absorbed fast by the nasal tissues. When people smoke crack, it gets inhaled into the lungs, just as quick as getting it injected directly into your vein. The main

One of the most addictive substances in the modern society that is increasingly abused is cocaine, which is a drug that generates several problems in the society and today’s health care programs. As a result of the increased use of this drug, users sometime develop cocaine addiction or dependence, which is a condition characterized by an overwhelming psychological desire to use the drug regularly. Despite its associated psychological impacts, people increasingly use cocaine and become addicted because it generates euphoria and high levels of energy similar to caffeine. Cocaine addiction or dependence has become a major issue for health care providers because it may contribute to brain and cardiovascular damage, which in turn generates heart attacks, strokes, and constricting heart arteries. Therefore, the treatment of cocaine addiction or dependence is increasingly important in today’s society.

The scenario states that “Cocaine is a psychedelic drug that is known to be highly addictive.” Although cocaine is a highly addictive drug according to the textbook and class notes it is not a psychedelic, it is a stimulant. On page 200, Lilienfield et al (2014) it clarifies “Cocaine is the most powerful natural stimulant”. In addition, based on my notes taken on October 22, 2014 from chapter 5 lecture guide: Stimulants excite neural activity and speed up body functions; a drug such as cocaine produces a euphoric rush. Whereas as a psychedelic drug, such as marijuana, affects the consciousness, resulting in dramatically altered perception, mood, thoughts and hallucinations.

The drug Cocaine alters chemical levels in the brain which can lead the user to have the ‘feel good’ factor.

Cocaine use has many harmful effects for people. For example, it can cause problems in a child if a mother uses it during pregnancy. “Prenatal cocaine exposure is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and developmental delays during the first two years of life” ("Infants"). Often mothers do not realize the problems they are

For thousands of years, drugs have been used in some way, form, or fashion. Drugs have not always been the way that we know them to be today, but people have been creative and have used what has been made available to them to use drugs, whether they knew it or not. Most of these early drug-users either used out of tradition and a ritualistic culture or because there was a need for some type of healing. The drug and stimulant, cocaine, is extracted from the coca plant. This plant is native to South America and has been used for thousands of years. It was first used out of both tradition and for healing. Ancient South Americans used first used this drug because it was a part of their culture and also because of some of the plant’s discovered