Cocaine and Its Affects on Humans By Laura Taylor Reynolds 4/27/2017

Cocaine Is Currently One Of Society’s Most Serious Problems Cocaine is the strongest natural stimulant in existence today Cocaine is highly addictive and ultimately destructive physiologically as well as psychologically Cocaine is a life and death matter 4/27/2017

The History of Cocaine Cocaine has been used as a stimulant for thousands of years Albert Neiman discovered cocaine’s “anesthetic action” in 1860 Angelo Mariani produced a “medicinal” wine in the 1880’s, called Vin Mariani (containing 11% alcohol and 6.5mg of cocaine in every ounce) Sigmund Freud recommended cocaine for a variety of illnesses and for alcohol and morphine addictions in 1884 John Pemberton developed Coca Cola, containing cocaine and caffeine in 1886 Cocaine was removed from Coca Cola in 1906 The Harrison Narcotic Act made cocaine illegal in 1914 4/27/2017

The Coca Plant Cocaine grows from the coca plant naturally in Chile, Peru, and Bolivia It is obtained from the leaves of “Erythroxylon” Coca 4/27/2017

Methods of Administering Cocaine Snorting Injecting Freebasing Crack cocaine 4/27/2017

Physiological Effects Coronary arteries constrict, blood pressure rises, and the blood supply to the heart diminishes Nausea, vomiting and anxiety Insomnia and restlessness Loss of appetite leading to weight loss and malnutrition Convulsions and cold sweats Swelling and bleeding of mucous membranes Damage to nasal cavities and lungs Possible strokes and heart attacks 4/27/2017

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Effects Addiction and Irritability Mood disturbances and depression Paranoia and auditory hallucinations Increased energy and mental alertness, and euphoria Increased temperature and dilated pupils 4/27/2017

PET Scan of Brain The red color shows high use of glucose, yellow shows medium, and blue shows the least glucose. This PET scan shows the brain function through the presence of glucose (the energy source of neurons) 4/27/2017

Cocaine on the Nervous System Normal dose of 25 to 150mg is taken when inhaled Cocaine produces a brief, intense euphoria, followed by severe depression Cocaine travels to the brain, in response releasing, rather displacing dopamine 4/27/2017

The Brain on Cocaine Brain on Cocaine Normal brain 4/27/2017

What is Dopamine? Dopamine is an important chemical, a neurotransmitter in the brain. This chemical is what makes humans feel pleasure 4/27/2017

Dopamine on the Nervous System Cocaine prevents the brain from reabsorbing the dopamine, causing extreme euphoria Thus the brain is depleted of dopamine This depletion, causes severe depression after the cocaine had dissipated 4/27/2017

Dopamine in the Brain 4/27/2017

The Specific Neural Systems that are Affected The neural system that is most affected by cocaine is the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) Nerve cells extend from the VTA to the nucleus accumbens The nucleus accumbens is one of the brain’s key pleasure centers of function Pleasurable Stimuli, such as sex and many drugs of abuse, such as cocaine cause increased activity in the nucleus accumbens 4/27/2017

Cocaine Statistics Cocaine addiction is by far the most serious drug problem in the United States today One tenth of the population (over 22 million people) have tried cocaine Every day 5,000 more people will experiment with cocaine Cocaine is a $35 billion illicit industry Cocaine now exceeds Columbia’s #1 legal export, coffee There are about 3.6 million chronic cocaine abusers currently 4/27/2017

An Added Danger The human liver combines cocaine and alcohol when mixed, manufacturing a third substance This third substance is called “cocaethylene” The dangerous mixture of these two substances is the most common two-drug combination Cocaethylene is the cause of many deaths 4/27/2017

The Sadness of Abuse Cocaine abusers attempt to hide their addiction Physical signs are too noticeable however The signs are: runny noses, severe mood swings, and frequent upper respiratory infections Cocaine may cause a person to stay awake for many hours and even days Hundreds and thousands of dollars are spent by cocaine abusers each week Crimes, prostitution, and drug-selling are practiced in order to support the habit in many cases Cocaine becomes the most important thing in a person’s life, overriding family, one’s career, and friends 4/27/2017

The Light At The End of The Tunnel Behavioral treatments are effective, including both outpatient and residential approaches Cognitive-behavioral therapy is another approach Through education about abuse and addiction, self-help, and self-awareness, individuals benefit greatly Therapeutic communities that offer planned lengths of stay lasting 6 to 12+ months are an alternative treatment 4/27/2017

References www.health.discovery.com www.atlantarecovery.com www.drug-rehab-addiction-treatment.com www.faculty.washington.edu www.focusas.com www.usnodrugs.com 4/27/2017