Research Paper Presentation

 Archaeological records indicate the presence of cocaine use in ancient civilizations as far back as early hominid species about 200 million years ago.

 In 1884 Sigmund Freud wrote a song, Uber Coca, describing the positive effects of cocaine.  By 1887, he retracted his previous stance on the drug after some unfortunate events

 In 1886 John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola as an alternative to the once popular alcoholic drink, Vin Mariani.

 Throughout history, cocaine has been used for medicinal purposes and thought of as beneficial.

 Serotonin, Epinephrine and Dopamine are all affected. 3Y

 Many users of cocaine enjoy using the drug for its positive short term effects, some of these include: rapid increase in energy, euphoria, and alertness

 However this drug also produces negative effects, ones that the user frequently is unaware of.  These effects include: panic attacks, increased blood pressure, increased body temperature, and increased heart rate.  These negative reactions to the drug can even be fatal.

 After snorting the drug for a long period of time, holes in the septum, or the barrier in the nose, start to form.  These holes can ultimately be fixed only through serious surgery.

 Mental conditions, such as paranoia and hostility can also be acquired through chronic cocaine use.

 Mood and movement disorders that are irreversible can occur as a result in damage to the neurons, heart and release of the neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin

 A condition called “cocaine Psychosis” is another result of long term cocaine use. The symptoms of the conditions are: hallucinations, feelings of anxiety, and feelings of paranoia.

 Formication can also occur after prolonged use of cocaine, the user will usually believe that there are crawling bugs underneath their skin.  This may eventually cause them to scratch into the skin and open sores and even use sharp objects to cut open their skin and “remove” the non-existing bugs

 Freebase cocaine has been referred to as the “champagne of drugs,” “gold dust,” “the caviar of recreational drugs “and the “Cadillac of drugs”  These nicknames have been given to powder cocaine because of its costs, and have ultimately resulted in the classification between people who consume these drugs.

 Crack has been associated with lower class individual and minority groups, because of its significant low price in contrast to powder cocaine.

 One of the aspects of cocaine users we must not overlook is their environment.  The conditions, in which someone may be raised or exposed to, could possibly make them more susceptible to using the drug.

 High availability, usually leads to higher consumption.  many factors such as dysfunctional families, low social status, a lack of parental supervision and widespread social drug-use exposure, are factors that significantly play into “an individual's movement from substance abuse predisposition to addiction”

 Stress plays a role in the use of cocaine as well, especially in relapses.

 Cognitive Behavioral therapy  Is Usually used as a short term treatment option.

 Interpersonal Psychotherapy treatment is also a short term option.

 Medically treating addiction is also an option.

 The treatment a user chooses could mean all the difference in whether they make a recovery or not, some treatment options that work for one addict may have no effect on another so it is crucial to chose the best option in order to have the best outcome.

 The drug has caused devastation both in Mexico and the United States.  On the border cities of Mexico, such as Juarez, massacres are common.  The threat cartels make are serious.  We constantly hear of these cartels killing political figures or those who dare publicly speak out or cooperative to abolish them.

 This has resulted in many debates between the U.S and Mexico.  Determining who is at fault and who should help restore justice is a main point that has not been solely determined.  Mexico is the main supplier of cocaine to the U.S, but it is the demand of the population in the states that has these cartels working in the first place.  Extreme solutions such as legalizing Cocaine in Mexico have been brought up.  There has been no resolution to the violence created because of the drug

A Story of Cocaine