Cocaine

Introduction Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant

that directly affects the brain. Pure cocaine was originally extracted

from the leaf of the Erythroxylon coca bush, which primarily grew in Peru and Bolivia (NIDA).

Cocaine is abused by three commonly routes of administration, which is snorting, injecting, and smoking.

Effects On the Brain Whether you snort cocaine smoke it

or inject it, cocaine quickly enters the bloodstream and travels to the brain.

Cocaine interferes with the chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) and blocks nor-epinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters from being reabsorbed.

Acute Effects

An extremely elevated mood

Feelings of supremacy

Dilated pupils

Increased heart rate/blood pressure

Increased body temperature

Chronic Effects

Malnourished due to decreased appetite

Regular snorting of cocaine can lead to loss of the sense of smell, nosebleeds, hoarseness, chronic runny nose, and problems swallowing.

Ingesting cocaine can cause severe bowel gangrene (death of tissue).

Injecting cocaine can cause severe allergic reactions and increased risk of HIV/AIDS

Who Does Cocaine? Anybody

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8dJv5fMqsE

Other Effects

Regular use of cocaine can cause nasal perforation and may cause permanent

lung damage for some users.

Can constrict blood vessels in the brain, causing strokes, seizures and can lead to

violent behavior.

Cocaine can also trigger a deadly abnormal heart rhythm called arrhythmia.

Cocaine Intake When you sniff or puff cocaine you

may be taking up to 0.1 to 0.2 grams of cocaine or 2 to 4 lines.

Orally, it may be around 1.2 grams. Injected, it will be around 750 to 800

mg.

High Priced Way of Getting “High”

Cocaine prices vary depending on its purity, the amount you are buying, where you are buying, and with whom you are dealing with.

Generally, a kilo of cocaine costs anywhere from $12,000 to $35,000.

Dealers normally dilute it & sell it at a much higher price, normally from $20 to a high of $100 a gram.

Crack varies from $3 to $50 a piece. In Columbia cocaine is $2 a gram.

Penalties For Cocaine Possession

Possession of cocaine is a felony offense in Utah and punishment can range from 0 years to life, in the Utah State Prison (Barnes).

Most minimum sentences range from one year in jail to three years in prison for first-time offenders; and three years to 12 years in prison for second or repeat offenders” (Barnes).

How drug dealers sell cocaine

Facts “Cocaine is responsible for more U.S.

emergency room visits than any other illegal drug (“Cocaine Use and its Effects”).”

Adults aged 18-25 years have a higher rate of current cocaine use and overall men report higher rates of current cocaine use than women (NSDUH).

Works Cited Page Barnes, Keith C. "Utah Criminal Defense Lawyer - Possession of Cocaine." Utah

Criminal Defense Lawyer Keith C. Barnes, Attorney at Law. Web. 06 Mar. 2011.

Bowersox, John A. "Cocaine Affects Men and Women Differently." ARCHIVES - National Institute on Drug Abuse - The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction. Feb. 1996. Web. 03 Mar. 2011.

"Cocaine - InfoFacts - NIDA." National Institute On Drug Abuse. Mar. 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2011.

"Cocaine Overdose." How Long Does Cocaine Stay In Your System. Web. 06 Mar. 2011.

"Cocaine Use and Its Effects." WebMD - Better Information. Better Health. Web. 03 Mar. 2011.

"How Much Does a Gram of Cocaine Cost on the Street?" Sethson.com - an Article Blog about Almost Everything. Web. 03 Apr. 2011.

NIDA. Cocaine: Abuse and Addiction National Institute on Drug Abuse. 6 February 2011