Cocaine

The intensity of cocaine's effect makes it one of the most reinforcing and thus one of the most addictive drugs of abuse. Cocaine is found in all parts of the South American shrub Erythroxylon coca.  Chewing coca leaves was already in practice among Andean Indians for at least 5,000 years before Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century.  Coca is still chewed legally in Latin America, mainly in the Andes.

No significant abuse problem occurred for a long time due to low cocaine content in the leaves and low absorption of the amount that was available.  Then in 1860, cocaine extraction made high doses possible, particularly by inhalation (snorting) and intravenous injection. Cocaine use increased significantly by the 1880s, and within 10 years, reports of abuse were frequent.  Its use was initially considered safe.  Sigmund Freud used cocaine and with his friend Carl Koller, explored cocaine's effects in curing morphine dependence. This was unsuccessful, but Koller did recognized the local anesthetic action of cocaine and implemented its use in eye surgery.

Coca-Cola began as one of many cola-flavored beverages, also touted as a tonic.  In 1906, the company switched to coca leaves from which the active ingredient had been removed. This decision heralded legislation that forced cocaine's removal from other merchants' products.  Drug laws passed in the early 1900s ended coca leaf importation.  Cocaine remains available for legitimate medical uses.

Cocaine causes a numbing, or local anesthetic, effect.  It increases dopamine in the brain, causing intense pleasure and reinforcement for using the drug.  It also causes increased alertness and movement, altered thinking, and acts as an appetite suppressant.  Cocaine increases heart rate and blood pressure, which in turn can lead to heart attacks, strokes, organ failure, and damage to unborn babies. With acute or cumulative high doses a toxicity syndrome can occur that includes seizures, psychosis, and elevated temperature and blood pressure.

Tolerance is so rapid with cocaine that a single use significantly decreases the euphoria of subsequent doses.  Withdrawal symptoms are mild and include depression and increased sleep and appetite. Cocaine is sometimes mixed with other drugs such as heroin ("speedballs") or PCP ("spacebase") and is often used with alcohol.  The consequences of cocaine abuse are extremely serious; these include toxicity symptoms and sudden death.

Common street names for cocaine include coke, lady, snow, gold dust, crack and rock.  The last two indicate a solid rock form of cocaine that is smoked.

For more information regarding cocaine, go to http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/cocaine.html.