Cocaine and Crack Addiction
Cocaine is a highly addictive Schedule II stimulant drug that has a high potential for abuse. Cocaine comes from coca leaves grown primarily in South America and is a very powerful central nervous system stimulant. The drug itself is considered to be one of the most addictive and dangerous drugs known to man. The main reason behind this is that once one takes cocaine it produces very strong physical and mental effects that make it almost impossible to break the habit. Users have been known to go on binges, as in the course of a long weekend, abstaining from food and sleep and absorbed only in doing more cocaine.
Although cocaine gives users a quick intense euphoria, a tolerance is rapidly developed requiring more and more drug to be consumed and leading to eventual addiction.
Crack is cocaine that comes in a rock crystal which users heat and smoke the vapors. The term "crack" comes from the cracking sound made when heated. As the vapors are directly inhaled the effect is more intense and immediate as are the harmful physical effects.
The Physical Effects of Cocaine
Cocaine comes as a powder and is usually snorted or dissolved in water and injected. By snorting cocaine, it rapidly enters the bloodstream through the nasal tissue. It can also be rubbed into the gums or ingested. However, most users snort cocaine for the immediate effects and when this is no longer producing the high they desire they often move on to injecting it as this produces a more immediate high. Injecting cocaine, however, also greatly increases the risk of overdose.
Cocaine is a drug that regardless of the frequency of use or amount, greatly increases the user's risk of heart attack, stroke, seizure or respiratory failure. Any of these conditions can result in sudden death.The Short Term Effects of Cocaine
Cocaine, like all drugs, acts as a poison to the body and the body responds to it as a poison. The intense short-lived high given by taking cocaine is off-set by the opposite- intense depression and extreme edginess. In addition, as the blood vessels constrict, body temperature increases as well as heart rate and blood pressure. The users experience restlessness, irritability and anxiety.
When the drug is taken, the body is reacting to the poison and a tremendous amount of vitamins and nutritional substances in the body are used up in the body's attempt to counter the effects of the cocaine. The result is malnutrition and the unhealthy appearance of most cocaine users. Crack cocaine does even greater damage as the drug is inhaled including lung trauma, bleeding, shortness of breath, coughing and respiratory problems. Cocaine users are often seen with nose sores, cracked or blistered lips (from the use of a very hot crack pipe pressed against their lips) and a wan appearance.
The Long-Term Effects of Cocaine
Some of the long-term effects of cocaine are permanent damage to the blood vessels of the heart and brain, high blood pressure leading to heart attacks and strokes and death.
Cocaine also damages the liver, kidney and lungs. The nose tissues are destroyed if the cocaine is snorted. Users are often found with holes in their nasal passages when abused this way. If the cocaine is smoked, respiratory failure is possible. If the cocaine is injected infectious diseases are common as well as abscesses. Malnutrition and weight loss is a given, as well as severe tooth decay. This is due to the massive nutritional deficiencies caused by cocaine use.
Auditory and tactile hallucinations are common. With crack cocaine use this is manifested by an intense feeling as if bugs were crawling under one's skin. This often results in disfigurement and scarring from clawing.
Although cocaine is often touted to give intense sexual highs, the truth is its continual use results in sexual problems and reproductive damage including infertility in both men and women.
Emotional disturbances are also common including apathy, disorientation, irritability, mood disturbances, severe depression, psychosis and delirium.
The list of cocaine long-term effects is quite a bit longer than other drugs. It is often promoted as a party drug, the actual users tell quite a different story. Cocaine often becomes an obsession for the user, even after a single use. It is not uncommon for a female user to sell herself in exchange for just another bit of cocaine. All manner of financial irregularities can occur when cocaine enters the picture. The user will use any and all available funds just to obtain more of the substance. Lacking these, a user will often resort to stealing and crime to obtain the drug. The result of this investment is a destroyed mind and body.
Cocaine being stated as one of the most dangerous drugs to man is not an understatement.
Cocaine Usage
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 36.8 million Americans aged 12 and older had tried cocaine at least once in their lifetimes, representing 14.7% of the population aged 12 and older. 5.3 million of these had used cocaine in the past year. Approximately 2000 people aged 12 and older use cocaine for the first time each day.
Although cocaine trafficking has declined, this still represents an alarming amount of people using cocaine daily for the first time. Given that cocaine is a drug that one can become addicted to in just one use, the number of potential drug addicts created daily is equally alarming and something needing to be addressed on a nation-wide basis.
The Solution to Cocaine Addiction
The Narconon drug rehabilitation program has proven itself over 44 years to be the most effective solution to cocaine addiction. The Narconon program has a success rate that is 4 times that of the international average. Narconon graduates remain drug-free as they have addressed not only the serious malnutrition and physical side to cocaine abuse, but also the mental side as well. There is a total solution to drug addiction that is relatively painless and completely drug-free. The Narconon program has the answer to drug addiction.
Call Narconon East U.S. today for your free confidential consultation at 877-237-3307.
The following references were used in this article: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration The Foundation For a Drug Free World The Office of National Drug Control Policy