Bahadur Singh
WHAT IS COCAINE?
“The word cocaine refers to the drug in a powder form or crystal form.1 The powder is usually mixed with substances such as corn starch, talcum powder and/or sugar or other drugs such as procaine (a local anesthetic) or amphetamines”. HOW IS IT USED?
Extracted from coca leaves, cocaine was originally developed as a painkiller. It is most often sniffed, with the powder absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. It can also be ingested or rubbed into the gums.
To more rapidly absorb the drug into the body, abusers inject it, but this substantially increases the risk of overdose. Inhaling it as smoke or vapor speeds absorption with less health risk than injection. STREET NAMES FOR COCAINE
COCAINE
Aunt Nora
Bernice
Binge
Blow
C
Charlie
Coke
Dust
Flake
Mojo
Toot
White
Nose candy
Paradise
Sneeze
Sniff
Snow
COCAINE
COCAINE
WHY IS COCAINE ADDICTING?
Cocaine has a very powerful stimulating effect on the nervous system, it raises levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and movement in the brain's reward circuit; the effects generally last from 15 to
30 minutes, or only 5 minutes depending on how it is taken.
Long term usage can lead to gradual changes in the brain's reward system, as well as other systems in the brain, which seriously raise the risk of addiction.
SHORT TERM EFFECTS OF COCAINE
Loss of appetite
Increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature
Contracted blood vessels
Increased rate of breathing
Dilated pupils
Disturbed sleep patterns
Nausea
Hyperstimulation
SHORT TERM EFFECTS OF COCAINE
Bizarre, erratic, sometimes violent behavior
Hallucinations, hyper excitability, irritability
Tactile hallucination that creates the illusion of bugs burrowing under
the skin
Intense euphoria
Anxiety and paranoia
Depression
Intense drug craving
Panic and psychosis
Convulsions, seizures and sudden death from high doses (even one
time)
LONG TERM EFFECTS OF COCAINE
Permanent damage to blood vessels of heart and brain
High blood pressure, leading to heart attacks, strokes, and
death
Liver, kidney and lung damage
Destruction of tissues in nose if sniffed
Respiratory failure if smoked
Infectious diseases and abscesses if injected
Malnutrition, weight loss
Severe tooth decay
LONG TERM EFFECTS OF COCAINE
Auditory and tactile