1. Cocaine
Mr. Barrett
Health II

2. History of Cocaine?
In the 1880’s, psychiatrist Sigmund Freud wrote and prescribed cocaine as a treatment for many ailments such as depression & addiction to alcohol and opiates.

3. What is it?
Pure cocaine was first isolated from the leaves of the coca bush in 1860.
Contained in small amounts in the leaves of erythroxylum (coca) bush
Researchers soon discovered that cocaine numbs whatever tissue it touches.
This lead to it’s use as a local anesthetic.

4. Where does it come from?
Coca leaves grow on the slopes of the Andes Mountains in South America.
For at least 4,500 years, people in Peru & Bolivia have chewed the coca leaves to lessen hunger & fatigue.
Most of the world’s supply of coca is grown & refined into cocaine in Colombia.

5. What does it look like?

6. What Category of drug is it?
Stimulant

7. How is it used?
Snorted
Smoked
Injected

8. How long does it last? Faster the absorption, the shorter the high……
Snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes
Smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes
Injection – 3 minutes
Once the drug leaves the brain, users experience a “coke crash” that triggers depression, irritability & fatigue.

9. Here's what happens in the body:
Heart - Cocaine is bad for the heart. Cocaine increases heart rate and blood pressure while constricting the arteries supplying blood to the heart.
Brain - Cocaine can constrict blood vessels in the brain, causing strokes. This can happen even in young people without other risk factors for strokes. Cocaine causes seizures and can lead to bizarre or violent behavior.

10. What happens to the body cont’d.
Lungs and respiratory system. Snorting cocaine damages the nose and sinuses. Regular use can cause nasal perforation. Smoking crack cocaine irritates the lungs and, in some people, causes permanent lung damage.
Sexual function. Although cocaine has a reputation as an aphrodisiac, it actually may make you less able to finish what you start. Chronic cocaine use can impair sexual function in men and women. In men, cocaine can cause delayed or impaired ejaculation.

11. Is cocaine addictive? Psychologically
Not physiologically although withdrawal or “coming down off drug” is extremely difficult on the body

12. Short-term effects Dilated pupils
Increased body temperature, Blood pressure & heart rate
Insomnia
Loss of appetite
Increased energy
Reduced fatigue
Mental clarity
Talkativeness

13. Long-term effects Paranoia Depression
Ulcers in the membranes of the nose
Changes in the chemistry of the brain
Dulled senses of taste & smell
Weight loss, poor health & sexual dysfunction
Loss of social & financial supports
Holes in bony separation between nostrils in nose

14. Not-so Fun Facts About 14% of U.S. adults have tried cocaine.
Young men aged 18 to 25 are the biggest cocaine users, with 8% using it in the previous 12 months.
One in 40 adults has used it in the past year.