Addiction studies (Graduate Student)
L Anderson
CocaineUseAS2000-5000SU2021VideoFormat.pptx
Cocaine
A powerfully addictive psychoactive chemical that stimulates the central nervous system, cocaine is the subject of songs, movies, videos, blogs and podcasts.
Cocaine
Debra Hanselman, LMSW, MHA 1500 Winter 2019
Cocaine comes from the coca bush, which grows on the slopes of the Andes Mountains in South America.
Historically, the Colombian coca chewer carried his coca leaves in a pouch hung on his shoulder.
He mixes powdered lime (from shells) with his cocaine to increase absorption.
Native cultures, especially the Incas, have used cocaine for thousands of years for energy, to ward off cold and hunger.
Image: Fitz Hugh Ludlow Memorial Library
Drinking Cocaine Wine
These ads for cocaine wine appeared at the end of the Nineteenth century.
Each glass of wine contained the equivalent of a half-line of cocaine.
Cocaine was also widely used in patent medicines.
In 2006, 1 oz. of cocaine, sold legally, cost about $150 to $200.
When manufactured and sold illegally, 1 oz. costs about $2,000. A kilogram of the cocaine shown on the right costs an average of $23,000 wholesale.
Image courtesy of DEA
Popularity of Cocaine
Nearly 34 million Americans have used cocaine at some time in their lives.
About 2 million people in the United States reported current use of cocaine.
2.5 percent of young people ages 12 to 17 reported that they had used cocaine at least 1 time.
16 percent of young adults ages 18 to 25 reported using cocaine at least 1 time
Who Uses Cocaine?
Adults 18 to 25 years old have a higher rate of current cocaine use than those in any other age group.
Overall, men have a higher rate of current cocaine use than do women.
Just a Few Street Names for Cocaine
Base
Big C
Blow
Candy
Coke
Crack
Flake
Gold Dust
Happy Powder
Rock
Roxanne
Seven-up
Snort
Snow
Snow Cone
White Dust
White Horse
Zip
Cocaine can be used in many different ways.
How do people use cocaine? People…
Snort
Snort cocaine powder through the nose
Rub
Rub it into their gums
Inject
Dissolve the powder and inject it into the bloodstream
Smoke
Process the powder and smoke it
Crack Cocaine
Debra Hanselman, LMSW, MHA 1500 Winter 2019
Crack is the hard form of cocaine that develops when the drug is mixed with water and other solvents and then cooked into a hard, rock form.
The drug is highly potent and extremely addicting despite the chemical changes that take place when it is cooked.
Crack cocaine is actually more powerful than powder cocaine, causes physical dependence to set in more quickly and is far more dangerous than the powder counterpart.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
Crack Cocaine
The name comes from the crackling sound of the rock as it's heated.
Some people also smoke Crack by sprinkling it on marijuana or tobacco, and smoke it like a cigarette.
COCAINE AFFECTS YOUR BODY. People who use cocaine often don’t eat or sleep regularly. They can experience increased heart rate, muscle spasms, and convulsions. Snorting cocaine also can permanently damage nasal tissue.
COCAINE AFFECTS YOUR EMOTIONS. Using cocaine can change your mood and make you feel paranoid, angry, and anxious.
COCAINE IS ADDICTIVE. Repeated cocaine use changes the brain circuits that process feelings of pleasure, which can cause a person to lose interest in other areas of their life, like school, friends, and sports.
It also damages brain circuits that control stress, decision-making, and impulse control, making it more difficult to stop using, even when it has negative effects on your life and health.
COCAINE CAN KILL YOU. Cocaine use can cause seizures, strokes, and comas. Cocaine can change the way the heart beats and lead to a heart attack.
People who share needles can contract hepatitis, HIV, and other diseases.
The Dangers of Cocaine Use
*It also is particularly dangerous to consume cocaine and alcohol at the same time; they combine to produce a third chemical, cocaethylene, that is far more toxic than either cocaine or alcohol alone.
Frequent use also can lead to tolerance and withdrawal, so you need more of the drug just to feel normal.
Generally, cocaine is not used on a daily basis, rather it is used in a binge pattern.
A cocaine binge will usually last several days followed by the “crash”.
People who use cocaine often take it in binges—taking the drug repeatedly within a short time, at increasingly higher doses—to maintain their high.
Immediate Psychological Effects
Increased euphoria
Increased energy
Increased sensitivity to sensations:
Sight
Sound
Touch
Increased talkativeness
Increased mental alertness
Increased confidence
Increased feelings of sexual desire
Chronic Psychological Effects
Irritability
Depression
Increasing restlessness
Paranoia
Auditory hallucinations
Bizarre and/or violent behavior
Damaged ability to feel pleasure
HIV or hepatitis C virus exposure
Immediate Physical Effects
Increased
Pupil size
Heart rate
Temperature
Blood pressure
Decreased
Appetite
Sleep
Chronic Physical Effects
Disturbances in heart rhythm
Heart attacks
Chest pain
Pneumonia
Respiratory failure
Strokes
Significant weight loss/malnutrition
Seizures
Headaches
Cocaine, HIV, and Hepatitis
Studies have shown that cocaine use speeds up HIV infection. According to research, cocaine impairs immune cell function and promotes reproduction of the HIV virus. Research also suggests that people who use cocaine and are infected with HIV may be more susceptible to contracting other viruses, such as hepatitis C, a virus that affects the liver.
Can a Person Overdose on Cocaine? Yes!
An overdose occurs when a person uses enough of a drug to produce serious adverse effects, life-threatening symptoms, or death.
Death from overdose can occur on the first use of cocaine or unexpectedly thereafter.
Some of the most frequent and severe health consequences of overdose are irregular heart rhythm, heart attacks, seizures, and strokes. Other symptoms of cocaine overdose include difficulty breathing, high blood pressure, high body temperature, hallucinations, and extreme agitation or anxiety.
Alcohol and Cocaine don’t Mix Well
Mixing alcohol and cocaine leads to impulsive behavior and interferes with learning and thinking.
Some people experience a more intense “high” when they mix cocaine and alcohol because the liver metabolizes these substances into cocaethylene; in addition, an increase heart rate and blood pressure often occur.
This combination substance also increases the risk for sudden death. It has been suggested that cocaethylene can increase violent thoughts and threats, and bad behavior.
Cocaine Withdrawal
The Inability to Feel Pleasure
Emotional Depression
Loss of Energy – Fatigue
Increased Appetite
Slowed Thinking
Loss of Motivation
Insomnia & Unpleasant Dreams
Intense Craving
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
Most people seek help during the crash
Pregnancy and Cocaine
Increased risk of
Premature birth
Low birth weight
Smaller than normal head size
Shorter than normal length
HIV or hepatitis virus exposure
Cocaine–Exposed Children
As cocaine-exposed children grow up, they may
Have trouble paying attention to tasks
Have trouble thinking things through
Have trouble learning new information
Debra Hanselman, LMSW, MHA 1500 Winter 2019
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Treatment Research
While no government-approved medicines are currently available to treat cocaine addiction, researchers are testing some treatments that have been used to treat other disorders, such as:
alcoholism
narcolepsy
obesity
opioid addiction
Resources
National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
SAMHSA Latest Statistics
https://www.samhsa.gov/data/nsduh/reports-detailed-tables-2017-NSDUH
Creative Commons. Open Source Images. https://creativecommons.org/
Doweiko, H. (2015). Concepts of Chemical dependency. ninth edition. Cengage learning.
Inaba, D. (2014). Uppers, downers, and all arounders. 8th Edition. Drug Education Textbook. CNS Productions. http://www.cnsproductions.com
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. http://www.samhsa.gov/ The Science of addiction: Drugs, brain, and behavior.
Debra Hanselman, LMSW, MHA 1500 Winter 2019
