Cocaine is a street drug that is extremely popular. Even though there is a lot of information readily available about cocaine, there are still a lot of misconceptions about it. Below is a list of some of the most common misconceptions about cocaine use:
Myth: A Cocaine Addiction Is Not Dangerous
Fact: Being addicted to any type of illicit drug can be dangerous, and cocaine is certainly no exception. A cocaine addiction can lead to many medical complications. This includes things such as respiratory failure, stroke and heart failure. Additionally, cocaine causes more fatalities than any other illicit drug.
Myth: It Takes A Long Time For A Person To Get Addicted To Cocaine
Fact: People who continue to use cocaine will eventually develop
The short term physiological effects of cocaine include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Large amounts intensify the user’s high, but may also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior. The short term effects on the brain are tremors, vertigo, muscle twitches, paranoia. Some users of cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety
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 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).
Cocaine Hydrochloride in the early 20th century was used in many ways. Some may say that small doses were added to the drink Coca Cola, that’s where the name come from. I feel as if this is true because Coca Cola is slightly addictive. The original formula of coca cola did have 25mg of cocaine per 100ml of drink. That formula was used as a stimulant for headaches. Cocaine Hydrochloride was an ingredient in patent medicines, tonics, elixirs, and fluid extracts. With the right amount it could save and cure you but if you were given more than needed you would get addicted. Doctors knew what would happen to a patient if they were given to much therefore they created something called the Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914.
One of the most common drugs use across the nation is Cocaine. Cocaine is classified as a stimulant, which is a group of drugs that cause short-term increase in the mental or physical state. Cocaine has a rich, long history dated back hundreds of years. The native people of South America first used it; they used to chew on it. The natives introduced this drug to the Spaniards when they landed on the continent. This lead to the research of Coca leaves a few hundred years later in Europe. Scientists sought o isolate and name the compound. After it was isolated, it was used as an anesthetic and other medical purposes for a couple of years. It was a useful anesthetic for eye and nasal surgery. However, today, it has very limited anesthetic use.
Cocaine and heroine are both illegal drugs, however, they hold some differences than you may realize. The origins of both drugs come from different place. Cocaine is extract from coca leaves, which is developed by the painkiller whereas heroine is from the resin of poppy plants. In addition both drugs can be taking different way, for cocaine mostly people sniffed, as the cocaine is a crystalline powder. For heroine, it is mostly injected through body. Finally, these drugs provide different effects. Long-term cocaine use can lead to death from the respiratory failure, stroke, or heart attack. For ling-term heroine use can impact to the liver or kidneys from infectious diseases and brain can be damage due to lack of oxygen. Thus, cocaine and
Cocaine is produced as a white chunky powder extracted from the leaves of the coca plant, which is indigenous to South America. It is a brain stimulant and one of the most highly addictive drugs. Cocaine stimulates the brain's reward system inducing an even greater feeling of pleasure than natural functions.
The drug cocaine is one of the most powerful and harmful drug around. It is addictive and directly affects the brain. Cocaine is a social issue because people who are addicted to this drug walk around on the streets and others may feel as if it is a disturbance.
After many thousands of years of people chewing on coca leaves from South America to obtain their mildly stimulating effects, the chemical substance, cocaine, is now extracted from that same leaf and is currently classified as a Schedule II drug. Cocaine is a stimulant and can be used legally, in some cases, by medical providers as a type of anesthesia. It is more well-known as an illegal, highly addictive drug that also goes by other names such as coke, snow, and blow. When the chemical cocaine was initially being removed from the coca leaf, more than one-hundred years ago, it was being used as an additive in early medications and in drinks. In the late 1800’s and very early 1900’s cocaine was an ingredient in the popular soda Coca-Cola. In the early 1900’s the addictive nature of products containing cocaine were becoming a concern and
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug. For thousands of years, people in South America have chewed and ingested coca leaves (Erythroxylon coca), the source of cocaine, for their stimulant effects. The purified chemical, cocaine hydrochloride, was isolated from the plant more than 100 years ago. In the early 1900s, purified cocaine was the main active ingredient in many tonics and elixirs developed to treat a wide variety of illnesses and was even an ingredient in the early formulations of Coca-Cola. Before the development of synthetic local anesthetic, surgeons used cocaine to block pain. However, research has since shown that cocaine is a powerfully addictive substance that can alter brain structure and function if used
Physical effects are many. There are constricted blood vessels, increased temperature, increased heart rate, and an increased blood flow. Cocaine is a drug that hurts the body instantly after intake. It messes up almost every internal organ, and just slowly corrodes it. There’s also a form of enhanced senses. There are things such as greater alertness, more energy, and increased self-confidence. There’s also a sense of increased power in one’s body. Cocaine produces its high affect by activating the nerve cells in the brain that releases dopamine. The dopamine lasts for a while until the user becomes aware of the high. Dopamine causes a chemical that can be traced to that of pleasure and mental alertness. What happens with the dopamine is that parts of the brain receives bits of it and stores it in the brain in this reservoir type of thing. This is why it’s pretty dangerous to take a heavy dose of cocaine. The effects of cocaine may go away temporarily, but due to that reservoir the affects can come and go at any moment, which can cause some mental deterioration. Obviously, the bigger the dose, the longer the effects of the dopamine. The end result is that after intake, the body of the user starts getting
Respiratory problems are common which can lead to shortness of breath. Long term use can even lead to respiratory failure. Cocaine also causes a weakened immune system, which leads to and increased chance of getting sick. In some cases cocaine can cause intestinal problems. “Cocaine can cause blood clots in the arteries feeding blood to the intestines... this blockage can also result in the development of
Wow Tiffany, I never thought of looking at cocaine in that way, you bring up some really solid points though! The fact that cocaine is placed in Schedule II by the U.S. government does suggest that it is proven to have some medical value. After reading your comment here I did a little research and your completely right, it's said to be affective for minor surgeries! It's not only an anesthetic but also helps produce much less bleeding during a procedure, I found this information fascinating. I also learned a valuable lesson from your comment tonight, one can't always look to the negative effects of a drug. It's really important to explore both sides of the spectrum to fully grasp a solid viewpoint.
This drug can be snorted, injected, or smoked. A drug like this is commonly found in two forms: crack and powder. A drug like this goes through a long process of extremely dangerous chemicals that are not safe to ingest in any form. Cocaine has both long term and short term effects on the body. Long term effects consist of “auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions of grandeur and persecution, and extreme paranoia” (Walters, 2014). Short term effects consist of “a rush of energy, an exaggerated sense of control and intense feelings of euphoria and well-being” (Walters, 2014). In general, cocaine has a high potency for anyone. Having this drug in your system could possibly cause an overdose which could lead to death. Surprisingly, health providers use to use this drug as a form of anesthesia when doing intense procedures, such as surgery or dental work. Using a drug like this soon became an issue due people where becoming addicted to it or professionals in the medical field where over prescribing. The want and need of this drug lead to more people becoming dependent on this drug leading to people creating their own substance to use and make a profit. This illegal activity come with different sentencing due to the form. Crack cocaine mandatory minimum sentencing is life. Powder cocaine has a weaker sentence of fourteen years (Parks,
Cocaine is a drug that is abused everywhere throughout the world for years and will probably continue as we move forward in the fight to stop it. To stop the epidemic of Cocaine consumption would be a huge step in terminating the abuse of drugs. Cocaine was originated from the naturally growing coca bush and facts say that ancient Incas in the Andes chewed coca leaves to get their hearts racing and to speed their breathing to counter the effects of living in thin mountain