Cocaine is currently the most abused illegal stimulant in America. It has recently become the drug most frequently involved in emergency room visits. It is not a new drug of abuse but is now considered the caviar of recreational drugs. Thus, this distinction is reflected in its description, champagne of drugs, gold dust, Cadillac of drugs, status stimulant, yuppie drug, and others.
Effects
The method of use dictates the onset of activity and duration of its effects. If snorted, the effects will peak within 30 minutes with its duration of effect lasting 1-3 hours. If swallowed with alcohol, effects peak in 30 minutes and last about 3 hours. If used intravenously or inhaled/smoked, the effects peak in seconds to 2 minutes but last only 15-30 minutes. The breakdown products of the drug will be excreted and can be detected in the urine for 24-72 hours. For chronic users, it can be detected for up to 2 weeks.
Is Cocaine Addictive?
Research with cocaine has shown that all laboratory animals can become compulsive cocaine users. Animals will work more persistently at pressing a bar for cocaine than for any drug, including opiates. An addicted monkey pressed the bar over 12,000 times until it got a single dose of cocaine. If the animal survives, it will return to the task of obtaining more cocaine. The human response is similar to that of the laboratory animal. The cocaine-dependent human prefers it to all other activities and will use the drug until the user or the supply is exhausted. These persons will exhibit behavior entirely different from their previous lifestyle.
Symptoms of Addiction
Some people who try cocaine become addicted to it relatively quickly. Once a person has developed an addiction to cocaine, it can be difficult to overcome. Over time, a person with a cocaine addiction could find their feelings have flat lined and the only way they can feel anything resembling pleasure is to use the drug. Another problem for people who become addicted to coke is that they develop a tolerance for the drug. Over time, they need to use larger amounts to get the same pleasurable effect they experienced when they first started taking it. This can quickly lead to an overdose.
These are just a few symptoms of cocaine addiction:
- When coke becomes central to your thoughts and emotions
- You start planning your evenings around the drug
- Work is no longer a priority
- You find yourself lying to friends and family about where you’re going and what you’re true actions are.
Symptoms of Loved-One Using Cocaine
Often times cocaine abuse symptoms go unnoticed because cocaine abuse symptoms are hard to identify at first. As cocaine abuse escalates, cocaine abuse symptoms become more apparent and are easier to detect.
- Dilated eyes
- Increased heart rate
- Cold sweats
- Respiratory problems
- Loss of appetite
- Stomach cramps
Drug abuse, chemical dependency, and addictive behavior spare no one and are spread throughout society. They do not respect age, profession, race, religion, or physical attributes
- Population surveys released by the N.I.D.A indicate that most cocaine users are older, inner-city crack addicts.
- However, field reports are identifying new groups of users: teenagers smoking crack with marijuana in some cities, Hispanic crack users in Texas, middle-class suburban users of cocaine hydrochloride, and female crack users in their 30s with no prior drug use history.
Methods of Abuse
Coke in this hydrochloride salt form or commonly known as powder form may be injected; swallowed; applied to oral, vaginal, or even rectal mucous membranes; or mixed with liquor. Coke is most commonly used by snorting or sniffing others include:
- Crack is extracted from coke using baking soda and heat. The waxy base becomes rocks of cocaine and is easily smoked on cigarette ashes or in a hollow glass tube known as a straight or crack pipe.
- This crystalline white powder can be dissolved in water and used intravenously. This is the most widely used form of the drug.
Although this drug has been in use for more than 5000 years, the toxic dose or the amount of cocaine that will cause death or some significant medical consequence is unknown. Death has occurred with as little as a dose of 25mg. The average lethal dose is 750-800mg.
Best Type of Treatment
Behavioral interventions such as, cognitive-behavioral therapy have been shown to be effective for ceasing cocaine use and preventing relapse. Treatment must be tailored to the individual patient’s needs in order to optimize outcomes. This often involves a combination of treatment, social supports, and other services.
There is hope. Narconon is a inpatient rehab that specializes in teaching people how to overcome their addiction and become a productive member of society once again. Narconon cocaine treatment center specializes in handling this type of addiction with a more than 70% success rate.
Call Narconon today at 800-468-6933 to get help for yourself or a loved one now.
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