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COCAINE AND CRACK
REMEMBER: COCAINE CAN KILL YOU! Cocaine also has important psychological effects: • A feeling of euphoria (feeling good, with no worries about anything) • People who use cocaine often feel active, chatty, mentally agile, with greater energy and clarity, and are more animated. • But they can also have panic attacks and fear of imminent death. • Slightly higher doses of cocaine cause people to feel agitated and paranoid, and may also cause hallucinations. • In some cases, people high on cocaine become violent and aggressive. Cocaine is a highly addictive drug, both physically and psychologically. When you start to use it on a regular basis you can easily become totally dependent on it. Then if you try to stop, you can become really anxious or depressed and have serious physical and psychological symptoms. Physical dependency occurs because the body needs the drug to feel good, and in order to avoid painful symptoms such as cramping, vomiting, sweating, you keep on taking more, etc. Psychological dependency has to do with the drug user’s need to feel the energy and euphoria that cocaine produces. Other effects of cocaine: • Continued and chronic use of cocaine by inhaling (“snorting”) the powder through the nose damages the nasal passages and can perforate the tissue. • If it is injected with a used needle, you run the risk of being infected with HIV/AIDS or other diseases such as hepatitis. • Chronic use can cause mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, paranoia, extreme mood fluctuations, and panic attacks • It can also affect your eating habits (you lose the desire to eat) • It is a very destructive addiction. What are the effects of crack? • Crack passes very quickly from the lungs to the brain. The effects are immediate (five seconds), very intense (it is said to be up to ten times stronger than cocaine), but they last a very short time (four to ten minutes). • “Coming down” from the effects of crack is difficult for the user, which quickly generates a strong addiction and compulsion to take more. • Crack is said to be “the dealer’s dream and the addict’s nightmare.” This is because as soon as the user stops inhaling crack, he or she becomes extremely distressed and may sink into a deep depression. • Using crack means getting involved in the world of drug trafficking. Did you know that using cocaine can harm the fetus? Cocaine during pregnancy can cause abortion, stillbirth and prematurity. Babies born to mothers who are users are also at greater risk of dying in the first three months and may have brain and respiratory disorders, psychological disorders, and other birth defects. Cocaine passes into breast milk and affects the nursing baby. Source: Lorenzo, P., Ladero, J.M., Leza, J.C. y Lizasoain, 1. Drogodependencias. Farmacología. Patología. Psicología. Legislación. 1999. Editor al Médica Latinoamericana. Madrid. For more information related to this topic click here: Drugs
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