Cocaine and Its Affects on Humans

1
Cocaine and Its Affects on Humans

• By Laura Taylor Reynolds

2
Cocaine Is Currently One Of Societys Most
Serious Problems

• Cocaine is the strongest natural stimulant in
  existence today
• Cocaine is highly addictive and ultimately
  destructive physiologically as well as
  psychologically
• Cocaine is a life and death matter

3
The History of Cocaine

• Cocaine has been used as a stimulant for
  thousands of years
• Albert Neiman discovered cocaines anesthetic
  action in 1860
• Angelo Mariani produced a medicinal wine in the
  1880s, called Vin Mariani (containing 11
  alcohol and 6.5mg of cocaine in every ounce)
• Sigmund Freud recommended cocaine for a variety
  of illnesses and for alcohol and morphine
  addictions in 1884
• John Pemberton developed Coca Cola, containing
  cocaine and caffeine in 1886
• Cocaine was removed from Coca Cola in 1906
• The Harrison Narcotic Act made cocaine illegal in
  1914

4
The Coca Plant

• Cocaine grows from the coca plant naturally in
  Chile, Peru, and Bolivia
• It is obtained from the leaves of Erythroxylon
  Coca

5
Methods of Administering Cocaine

• Snorting
• Injecting
• Freebasing
• Crack cocaine

6
Physiological Effects

• Coronary arteries constrict, blood pressure
  rises, and the blood supply to the heart
  diminishes
• Nausea, vomiting and anxiety
• Insomnia and restlessness
• Loss of appetite leading to weight loss and
  malnutrition
• Convulsions and cold sweats
• Swelling and bleeding of mucous membranes
• Damage to nasal cavities and lungs
• Possible strokes and heart attacks

7
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Effects

• Addiction and Irritability
• Mood disturbances and depression
• Paranoia and auditory hallucinations

• Increased energy and mental alertness, and
  euphoria
• Increased temperature and dilated pupils

8
PET Scan of Brain
The red color shows high use of glucose, yellow
shows medium, and blue shows the least glucose.
This PET scan shows the brain function through
the presence of glucose (the energy source of
neurons)
9
Cocaine on the Nervous System

• Normal dose of 25 to 150mg is taken when inhaled
• Cocaine produces a brief, intense euphoria,
  followed by severe depression
• Cocaine travels to the brain, in response
  releasing, rather displacing dopamine

10
The Brain on Cocaine
Brain on Cocaine
Normal brain
11
What is Dopamine?

• Dopamine is an important chemical, a
  neurotransmitter in the brain.
• This chemical is what makes humans feel pleasure

12
Dopamine on the Nervous System

• Cocaine prevents the brain from reabsorbing the
  dopamine, causing extreme euphoria
• Thus the brain is depleted of dopamine
• This depletion, causes severe depression after
  the cocaine had dissipated

13
Dopamine in the Brain
14
The Specific Neural Systems that are Affected

• The neural system that is most affected by
  cocaine is the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
• Nerve cells extend from the VTA to the nucleus
  accumbens
• The nucleus accumbens is one of the brains key
  pleasure centers of function
• Pleasurable Stimuli, such as sex and many drugs
  of abuse, such as cocaine cause increased
  activity in the nucleus accumbens

15
Cocaine Statistics

• Cocaine addiction is by far the most serious drug
  problem in the United States today
• One tenth of the population (over 22 million
  people) have tried cocaine
• Every day 5,000 more people will experiment with
  cocaine
• Cocaine is a 35 billion illicit industry
• Cocaine now exceeds Columbias 1 legal export,
  coffee
• There are about 3.6 million chronic cocaine
  abusers currently

16
An Added Danger

• The human liver combines cocaine and alcohol when
  mixed, manufacturing a third substance
• This third substance is called cocaethylene
• The dangerous mixture of these two substances is
  the most common two-drug combination
• Cocaethylene is the cause of many deaths

17
The Sadness of Abuse

• Cocaine abusers attempt to hide their addiction
• Physical signs are too noticeable however
• The signs are runny noses, severe mood swings,
  and frequent upper respiratory infections
• Cocaine may cause a person to stay awake for many
  hours and even days
• Hundreds and thousands of dollars are spent by
  cocaine abusers each week
• Crimes, prostitution, and drug-selling are
  practiced in order to support the habit in many
  cases
• Cocaine becomes the most important thing in a
  persons life, overriding family, ones career,
  and friends

18
The Light At The End of The Tunnel

• Behavioral treatments are effective, including
  both outpatient and residential approaches
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy is another approach
• Through education about abuse and addiction,
  self-help, and self-awareness, individuals
  benefit greatly
• Therapeutic communities that offer planned
  lengths of stay lasting 6 to 12 months are an
  alternative treatment

19
References

• www.health.discovery.com
• www.atlantarecovery.com
• www.drug-rehab-addiction-treatment.com
• www.faculty.washington.edu
• www.focusas.com
• www.usnodrugs.com