Cocaine
By Allison Sachwitz
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug that is in two different forms. The powdered form of cocaine is inhaled through the nose, and then absorbed through nasal tissue. It is also dissolved in water and injected into the bloodstream. Crack is another form of cocaine that has been made into a rock crystal that you smoke.
Street Names
blunt, boost, brick, c, caine, chalk, candy, coca, colombian, crack, dust, flash, gravel
Short Term Effects
violence, headaches, malnutrition, muscle twitches, abnormal heart rhythms, constriction of blood vessels, nosebleeds, hoarseness, increase in body temperature, increase is heart rate, increase in blood pressure, decreased appetite, dilated pupils, and tremors
Long Term Effects
risks for HIV, Hepatitis, other blood born pathogens, physiological and psychological effects from increased doses or frequency
Signs of Abuse
Dependence
After using Cocaine repeatedly, the brain adapts to it, making the high less rewarding. So higher doses and more frequent use is needed to reach the same reward as the first time it was taken, making the dependence psychological.