In terms of notoriety, cocaine has a reputation that few other drugs can match.
7,000 Years In The Making
Use of cocaine is prevalent in today's world; however, the origin of this mystical drug dates back into mankind's infancy. The Inca Empire, located in Peru, used coca as early as 5000 B.C. as a stimulant during hunting and work. It wasn't until about the 16th century that European explorers came to South America to discover this "wonder drug". Since then cocaine has been exploited in financial endeavors including Coca-Cola, Coca wine, etc.
Other than monetary gain, some discovered other uses for cocaine. Dr. W.S. Halsted, known as "The Father of Modern Surgery", ascertained that cocaine had local anesthetic effects. Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis, himself used cocaine as well as prescribing it for treatment of depression and morphine dependence. Today, cocaine use remains mostly recreational with some scientists using the drug for various experiments and studies.
Early-Use
The processing of cocaine is fairly cheap and easy where 500 kg of coca leaves yield 1 kg of cocaine. The leaves are soaked, ground, and mixed with organic solvents (mostly kerosene or gasoline) in order to extract the psychoactive compound. After the liquid is filtered, coca paste remains for further production.
In South America coca paste is smoked in combination with tobacco by the indigenous population. The paste is made into cocaine hydrochloride; the primary form in which powder cocaine is purchased. Cocaine hydrochloride is very water soluble and stable, however this means that this form of cocaine cannot be smoked. By using volatile organic solvents, like ether, a freebase form can be created that allows the product to be vaporized and thus inhaled. In the 1980's however the discovery of crack cocaine rendered freebase use nearly nonexistent.
Drug Action and Uses
Not many people know the effects of cocaine from a physiological perspective primarily due to lack of exposure and limits in medical science. Today, much is known about the psychoactive effects of cocaine use. Synapses in the brain are pumped full of neurotransmitters, namely dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The cocaine molecule blocks the re-uptake of neurotransmitters, prolonging the effect these molecules have on the post-synaptic neuron.
Snorting cocaine exposes the nasal mucosa, resulting in a fast acting effect of the drug. Intravenous use, while less popular, produces an intense high due to the injection of a high concentration of the drug in one dose. Crack-use remains most popular because inhalation serves as a fast-delivery system thats not invasive.
Enzymes in the blood and liver degrade the drug after intake. The half-life of cocaine is about one hour; however, its metabolites - compounds screened in drug tests instead ofcocaine itself - have half-lives of up to eight hours.
While there is much concern and bias around cocaine-use, controlled and licensed use can provide a few benefits. Topical application of cocaine produces numbing of the affected area which is why it's still used in nasal, esophageal, and laryngeal surgery. Feelings of well-being and increased energy are reported by almost all users, but use of cocaine for its effects on the nervous system is outweighed by fears of dependence.
Hazardous Effects
There is no evidence that the use of cocaine, in small doses, impedes the health of an individual. However, acute cocaine poisoning can lead to convulsions, severe CNS stimulation, and respiratory or cardiac arrest. Due to a great variation in the uptake and metabolism of cocaine between individuals, it is difficult to determine a lethal dose. Rare, but severe allergic reactions can also occur with cocaine or local anesthetic-use and cardiac arrest follows.
Cocaine binges can increase irritability and often lead to paranoia and insomnia. In some cases severe paranoid-psychosis occurs and is accompanied with auditory hallucinations and a loss of reality with symptoms usually disappearing with the clearance of the drug. Heavy cocaine use can produce major dependence, often ending fatally for the user. Cocaine-related health issues account for a large proportion of hospital admissions for drug treatment every year.
Source:
Hart, C.L., Ksir, C., Ray, O., "Drugs, Society, & Human Behavior" 2009. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY
Flo Hahnel - Florian Hahnel (23 years old) Born: Posneck, Thuringia, Germany Live: Alberta, Canada Bachelors of Science Degree - Major in ...
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