COCAINE
Kyle M. and Dan B. TB 2
What are cocaine?
- Powder cocaine is a white powder. Street dealers often mix cocaine with other substances like cornstarch, talcum powder, or sugar. They also mix cocaine with active drugs like procaine, a chemical that produces local anesthesia (a local anesthetic that causes you not to feel pain in a specific area of the body) and with other stimulants like amphetamines.
- Crack is a form of cocaine that has been processed to make a rock crystal that people smoke. The term “crack” refers to the cracking sound the rocks make when they are heated. To make crack, the powder cocaine is mixed with ammonia or baking soda and water and then heated to produce the crystal.
How are they abused?
How does it affect the brain?
What are other effects of Cocaine?
The surge of dopamine in the brain affects the body in a variety of ways:
- Constricted blood vessels and dilated pupils
- Higher body temperature
- Higher blood pressure and faster heartbeat
- Feeling sick to the stomach
- Restlessness
- Decreased appetite and, over time, a loss of weight
- Inability to sleep
- Increased risk of heart attack or stroke due to high blood pressure
- Increased risk of HIV because of impaired judgment leading to risky sexual behavior
- Strange, unpredictable behavior, panic attacks, or paranoid psychosis (losing touch with reality)
Can you get addicted?
Because a cocaine high usually doesn't last very long, people take it again and again to try to keep feeling good. Once addicted, people who are trying to quit taking cocaine might:
- Act nervous and restless
- Feel very sad and tired
- Have bad dreams
- Not trust people and things around them
- Feel a strong need to take cocaine
Can you die from use?
How many teens abuse this drug?
what classification does your drug belong in?
What should you do if someone needs help
If you or a friend are in crisis and need to speak with someone now, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (they cover a lot of issues not just suicide and will help put you in touch with someone close by). If you need information on treatment and where you can find it, you can call the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator at 1-800-662-HELP or visit www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov For more information on how to help a friend or loved one, visit Have a Drug Problem, Need Help? page.