Behind Crack Cocaine
Cocaine is a widely known drug derived from the leaves of coca plants which acts as a psychostimulant. Julien, Advokat, and Comaty (2011) explain how when processed, cocaine can be made into cocaine hydrochloride, known as powdered cocaine, or into crack cocaine, another form of cocaine created by mixing powder cocaine with a weak base. Its composition changes into rock form with a lower melting point than that of regular powder cocaine, therefore, allowing the drug to be inhaled or smoked when heated. The name crack cocaine comes from the sound it makes when set alight (p. 399). Crack cocaine is quickly inhaled into the lungs, immediately into the bloodstream then straight to the brain, all within seconds. Once in the brain crack cocaine and cocaine have almost the exact effects. Crack cocaine acts on the ventral tegmental area which is responsible for the housing of dopaminergic neurons. These neurons travel to different parts of the brain and release dopamine. Because cocaine has the “ability to block the active reuptake of these neurotransmitters[dopamine]”, dopamine is unable to be reabsorbed by the transporter, which results on uninterrupted stimulation between the neurotransmitter and the receptor (Julien et al., 2011, pg. 403). These increased levels of dopamine intensify the psychostimulant effects of cocaine. This high, however, will only last approximately 10 minutes and when dopamine levels decrease, the user will hit a phase of depression or “feel irritable and uncomfortable,” which leads users to want more in order “to avoid this discomfort and ‘recapture’ the initial high” (Morton, 1999, pg. 110). As the user continues to aim for such high, their intake to achieve the desired high state may bec...
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Cocaine is a classified ‘Schedule II’ drug, also known as “crack”, and “coke” it is a powerful drug, and addictive stimulant well known as a psychoactive substance. That comes from a plant called coca leaf that has been around since the mid-1800s and throughout the 20th century. “In the mid-1980s, addiction to the drug was seen as exaggerated or dismissed as psychological and not addiction” (Miller, Gold, Smith, 1997, p.62). In the past, cocaine’s original use was for medical purposes as local anesthetic for surgeries. Now its usage is illegal and this drug is immersed into the body through various ways. However,...
“The first time cocaine is used it may make the heart beat faster leading to a feeling of excitement and fear” (qtd. in Carroll, 1994, p.24). Followed by euphoria, these feelings can peak within five seconds. The user then begins to feel more energetic and becomes more sociable (Carroll, 1994). One inhalation will produce a high usually lasting 10-15 minutes. After this zenith of intense sensation, “…the drug wears off, these temporary sensations of mastery are replaced by an intense depression, and the drug abuser will then "crash", becoming lethargic and typically sleeping for several days” (qtd. in Narconon, 2001). There are several different ways to use crack. It can be snorted, smoked, or taken intravenously. It can also be taken orally (chewed), but this method is not preferred because of the low intensity of the high. The two most popular ways of using crack are smoking and IV usage. These two methods are most favored because they give the most intense sensations.
Specific Purpose: To inform my audience on the history of cocaine, current prevalence rates and health effects among other issues.
Koob, G. F., & Simon, E. J. (2009). The Neurobiology of Addiction: Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going. NCBI, 115-132. Retrieved APRIL 26, 2014, from www.ncbi.nih.nlm.go/pmc/articles/PMC2901107
Cocaine (C17H21NO4) comes from the leaf of an Erythroxylon coca bush. It is a drug that effects the central nervous system. It causes feelings of euphoria, pleasure, increased energy and alertness. People under the influence of cocaine often do not feel the need for food or sleep. They also feel energetic and may talk a lot. However, depending on factors such as environment, dosage, and the manner in which the drug is taken, cocaine can have adverse effects such as violent, erratic behavior, dizziness, paranoia, insomnia, convulsions, and heart failure to name a few. Long- term effects of cocaine include, but are not limited to strokes, heart attacks, seizures, loss of memory, and decrease in learning capability (1).
In the 1970s, cocaine was expensive and considered a "status" drug. The introduction of inexpensive crack increased the accessibility of this substance, and crack has become the drug of choice for many users, especially for inner...
Cocaine is a drug derived from the leaf of the Erytroxylon cocoa bush, which grows primarily in Peru and Bolivia. Cocaine also known as coke, C, snow, flake, nose candy, blow, or crack is generally sold on the street as a hydrochloride salt( a water-soluble salt). Cocaine is a fine, white crystalline powder often diluted with similar-looking substances such as talcum powder, sugar, or amphetamines. The powder can be snorted into the nostrils, also may be rubbed onto the mucous linings of the mouth, rectum, or vagina. To experience cocaine's effects quickly, and to heighten their intensity, users sometimes dissolve it in water and injects into a vein. The drug may be smoked in a purified form through a water pipe (freebassing) or in a concentrated form (crack) shaped into pellets or rocks and placed in special smoking gear. Despite today's abuse of the highly addictive drug, cocaine was intended for medical purposes. Pure cocaine was first extracted and identified by the German chemist Albert Niemann in the mid-19thcentury, and was introduced as a tonic/elixir in patent medicines to treat a variety of real or imagined illnesses. Later, it was used as a local anesthetic for eye, ear, and throat surgery and continues today to have limited use in surgery. Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that heightens alertness and provides intense feelings of pleasure. Because of it's potent euphoric and energizing effects, many people
Drugs seem to cause surges in dopamine neurotransmitters and other pleasure brain messengers. However, the brain quickly adapts and these circuits desensitize, which allows for withdrawal symptoms to occur (3). Drug addiction works on some of the same neurobiological mechanisms that aid in learning and memories (3). "This new view of dopamine as an aid to learning rather than a pleasure mediator may help explain why many addictive drugs, which unleash massive surges of the neurotransmitter in the brain, can drive continued use without producing pleasure-as when cocaine addicts continue to take hits long after the euphoric effects of the drug have worn off or when smokers smoke after cigarettes become distasteful." (4)
A study done by Puig and colleagues (2012) compared the effects of intermittent (once daily) and binge (three times a day) cocaine treatment for 1 and 14 days after the last cocaine injection on spontaneous locomotor activity and dopamine levels in the NAc in rats. The intermittent treatment led to a spontaneous increase in dopamine and in locomotor activity at the exact hour which rats were habituated to receive a cocaine injection (Puig, Noble & Benturquia, 2012). The binge treatment led to sensitization of locomotor effects of cocaine, associated to a dopamine release sensitization in the NAc (Puig, Noble & Benturquia, 2012). These results show the addictive nature of cocaine and the behavioural and sensitization effects it has on the animal, which can be related to the effects it can possibly have on humans (Puig, Noble & Benturquia,
The most commonly abused substances are Nicotine, Inhalants, Alcohol, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Prescription medications, Heroin, Ecstasy and Marijuana. 1a(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011) Initially, a person may find themselves using substances voluntarily and with confidence that they will be able to dictate their personal use. However, over the period of time that drug use is repeated, changes are taking place throughout the brain, whether it is functionally or structurally. Drugs contain chemicals that enter the communication system of the brain and disturb the way in which nerve cells would typically send, receive, and process information. The chemicals within these drugs will cause a disruption to the communication system by either imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers or by over-stimulating the brains “reward system” by sending mass amounts of dopamine. As an individual prolongs his or her use of these substances, they may develop an addiction.
The use of cocaine in the United States has declined over the last twenty years while the use of crack has increased. Many people avoided the use of crack because of the harmful chemicals used in creating the drug. One of the reasons why crack became popular is because of not needing to inject the drug hence less risks of being infected by the AIDS virus. Carroll (2000) states cocaine is the most powerful stimulant of natural origin. Most users snort or inject the drug to enable a quicker “high.” Cocaine use brings on many health problems. Fatal complications occur from regular use, for example, liver damage, seizures, elevated blood pressure causing stroke, heart failure, or heart attack.
... middle of paper ... ... Works Cited ""Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction" - Drug Abuse and Addiction." Web.
Nearly all drugs of abuse increase dopamine release. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in drug abuse and addiction. Dopamine plays a role in reward-motivated behaviors, motor control and important hormones. It’s known as the “feel good hormone” which is why people abuse drugs that increase the release of dopamine. Since life is unpredictable, our brains have evolved the ability to remodel themselves in response to our experiences.
Cocaine and the Nervous System. [online] Available at: http://serendip.bryanmawr.edu/exchange.node/1739 [Accessed: 2 Oct 2013]. Donaghy, M. 2005. "The Species of Neurology.
Many people that have smoked marijuana also try other drugs to get another type of high. Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that effects the brain directly. This powerful drug takes effect in very small doses by making a person feel more alert or energetic. Though people may think the drug helps them perform tasks faster with fewer complications, it also carries a list of effects. Some include constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, high temperature, high heart rate, and bizarre behavior. Some...