Cocaine By Jenna Pressler Emily Freedman Sara Seidman

Cocaine By: Jenna Pressler Emily Freedman Sara Seidman

Overview What is Cocaine? ● Cocaine is a local anesthetic and central nervous system stimulant ● Powder or crystal form ● Made from the coca plant native to south America ● It was first isolated by German chemist Albert Niemann in the early 1800 s. Its early uses were in surgery to numb nose and throat areas. ● Sold on streets usually diluted with fillers to increase volume. ● Most often injected or snorted ● https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=vx. I 7 PTVRfh. Q

Street Names ● Coke ● Crack ● Snow ● Star dust ● Nose candy ● Blow ● Charlie ● Aunt Nora ● Bernice

Appearance ● White crystalline powder

Methods of use ● Snorting (Most common) ● Ingested ● Orally ingested ● Rubbed on gums ● Smoked (Crack cocaine)

How does cocaine work? ● Central nervous stimulant ● Interferes with dopamine ● Speeds up your body and mind so you feel more energetic ● Acts as an anesthetic causing your nose and throat to go numb ● Effects are felt immediately

Advantages of cocaine ● Increased energy levels ● More alert ● Exhilaration ● Pain relief ● Excitement ● Increased confidence ● Euphoria

Disadvantages ● Increased heart rate and temperature ● Anxiety ● panic ● irritability ● headache ● Paranoia ● dizziness ● trembling ● nausea

Cost per gram

Short-term effects ● Euphoria ● Energy and talkativeness ● Raising heart rate and blood pressure ● Dilates pupils ● Increases body temperature ● Decreases appetite

Long-term effects ● Restless ● Paranoid ● Over excited ● Nausea ● Weight loss and eating disorders ● Depression ● Psychosis ● Insomnia ● Sexual dysfunction ● Light and sound sensitivity

Serious Effects ● Heart Attacks ● Stroke ● Contracting HIV ● Seizures ● Brain hemorrhage ● Convulsion ● Death

Dependence ● Over time a tolerance is developed because a higher dose is needed to produce the same effects.

Abuse/Addiction ● Cocaine alters the brains sense of reward and punishment. The buildup of dopamine causes the brain to have a constant sense of reward. Once the effects wear off, the brain still craves the constant reward which results in an addiction to the drug. ● lose control

Who is most likely to use cocaine? ● Young ● Male ● Unmarried ● Unemployed ● High school dropouts ● Living below the poverty level

Interesting Facts

Myths & Facts Myth #1: Children whose mothers smoked crack during gestation are neurologically damaged. They don't develop emotionally or intellectually. Fact: The assertions claiming that children who have been exposed to crack cocaine before birth are permanently damaged are unsubstantiated. Numerous studies have shown that there is very little conclusive evidence to support the "crack baby" myth. Myth #2: Crack is purer than powder cocaine, and is more potent. Fact: There is no pharmacological difference between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Crack cocaine is simply powder cocaine which has been converted into a solid "rock" form that may be smoked. http: //www. crack-facts. org/index. html: refrence According tо thе 2008 National Survey on Drug Use аnd Health (NSDUH), аrоund 36. 8 million Americans age 12 аnd abоvе trіed Cocaine at least onсe in their lifetime. 17

Treatment ● Medically supervised cocaine detoxification (detox) ● Group and individual counseling ● Family therapy ● 12 -step program meetings ● Relapse prevention ● Aftercare programs

References ● http: //www. drugabuse. gov/publications/drugfacts/cocaine ● http: //www. ceida. net. au/stimulants/cocaine. asp ● http: //money. cnn. com/2013/10/09/technology/silk-road-drug-prices/ ● http: //www. crackcocaine. us/content/crack-cocaine-statistics. html ● http: //www. drugfreeworld. org/drugfacts/cocaine/a-shorthistory. html ● http: //www. cesar. umd. edu/cesar/drugs/cocaine. asp ● http: //abovetheinfluence. com/wpcontent/uploads/2014/02/cocaine_shorter. jpg