Facts About Cocaine
Updated: June 28, 2010
Snow, Nose Candy, Toot, Dust, Coke, Powder, White Pony, Flake, Rock, Crack, and The Lady — these are all street names at one time or another for cocaine. What are the facts about this drug that’s extracted from the leaves of the South American coca plant? Cocaine, which affects the central nervous system of the body, looks like a white powder, often mixed in with sugar, vitamins, cornstarch, and flour. Crack cocaine will look like a small rock, a little chip that has an off-white or pinkish color. It’s a drug that may be injected, sniffed, snorted, or smoked. Statistics suggest that about one percent of Americans currently use the drug — about 2.1 million people.
The effect of cocaine is a strong feeling of exhilaration and/or euphoria. For the most part, users feel as if they have a great deal of energy; they’re alert, carefree, euphoric, even have a feeling of invincibility. This state is followed by decreased appetite, as well as several psychological effects: agitation, anxiety, depression and paranoia. Generally, the effects of the drug last for about two hours.
Cocaine is considered a potent and dangerous drug, with its short-term and long-term effects both fairly dangerous. After taking the drug, some people are susceptible to cardiac arrest or seizures, which is followed by respiratory failure; this can occur both in short term use and/or long term abuse. Other effects include insomnia, a loss of appetite, blurred vision, high anxiety, vomiting, irritability, constricted blood vessels, nasal infections, nose bleeds, sweating, rapid breathing, twitching, hallucinations, chest pains, and violent behavior.
Long term effects may include extreme agitation, depression, and violent mood swings. If snorted, this may cause ulcerations in the mucous membrane of the nose and create holes in the barrier that separates the nostrils. There are also cases of a loss of appetite, extreme insomnia, and sexual problems. In addition, in long term use, heart disease, strokes, respiratory failure, heart attacks and seizures, as well as gastrointestinal problems are found.
These are just some of the fact regarding this drug. Cocaine is considered highly addictive and may leave the user with a strong, even overwhelming craving for it. This addictive quality develops fast and may be established after using it just a few times.
Cocaine trafficking is a serious crime; Masters in Criminology degrees provide information on how to understand crime and aid in preventing it.
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