COCAINE
Bahadur Singh

WHAT IS COCAINE?
“The word cocaine refers to the drug in a powder form or crystal form.1 The powder is usually mixed with substances such as corn starch, talcum powder and/or sugar or other drugs such as procaine (a local anesthetic) or amphetamines”. HOW IS IT USED?
Extracted from coca leaves, cocaine was originally developed as a painkiller. It is most often sniffed, with the powder absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. It can also be ingested or rubbed into the gums.
To more rapidly absorb the drug into the body, abusers inject it, but this substantially increases the risk of overdose. Inhaling it as smoke or vapor speeds absorption with less health risk than injection. STREET NAMES FOR COCAINE

COCAINE

Aunt Nora

Bernice

Binge

Blow

C

Charlie

Coke

Dust

Flake

Mojo

Toot

White

Nose candy

Paradise

Sneeze

Sniff

Snow

COCAINE

COCAINE

WHY IS COCAINE ADDICTING?
Cocaine has a very powerful stimulating effect on the nervous system, it raises levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and movement in the brain's reward circuit; the effects generally last from 15 to
30 minutes, or only 5 minutes depending on how it is taken.
Long term usage can lead to gradual changes in the brain's reward system, as well as other systems in the brain, which seriously raise the risk of addiction.

SHORT TERM EFFECTS OF COCAINE
Loss of appetite
Increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature
Contracted blood vessels
Increased rate of breathing
Dilated pupils
Disturbed sleep patterns
Nausea
Hyperstimulation

SHORT TERM EFFECTS OF COCAINE
Bizarre, erratic, sometimes violent behavior
Hallucinations, hyper excitability, irritability
Tactile hallucination that creates the illusion of bugs burrowing under

the skin
Intense euphoria
Anxiety and paranoia
Depression
Intense drug craving
Panic and psychosis
Convulsions, seizures and sudden death from high doses (even one

time)

LONG TERM EFFECTS OF COCAINE
Permanent damage to blood vessels of heart and brain
High blood pressure, leading to heart attacks, strokes, and

death
Liver, kidney and lung damage
Destruction of tissues in nose if sniffed
Respiratory failure if smoked
Infectious diseases and abscesses if injected
Malnutrition, weight loss
Severe tooth decay

LONG TERM EFFECTS OF COCAINE
Auditory and tactile