Cocaine

Cocaine (also cocain) is a drug that is made from coca leaves. Cocaine is white and is made up of small crystals. Most cocaine is used as an illegal drug. Because it is a stimulant, cocaine makes people feel very happy and energetic when it is eaten, smoked, or inhaled. When used this way, cocaine is very addictive. However, cocaine can also be used as a local anesthetic if it is applied topically (onto the skin or gums). Because of this, doctors and dentists sometimes use cocaine as a legal drug. Cocaine is sometimes called "coke."

Origin and effects

Where cocaine comes from

Cocaine is made from the leaves of the coca plant. Coca plants are mostly grown in South America, in countries like Brazil or Argentina. When coca plants were discovered by Spanish conquistadors (explorers), they were sent back to Europe. People started using cocaine for medicine, because they did not know it was addictive.

In America, cocaine was used during surgery, or to treat toothaches. It was also put into drinks. When Coca Cola was first made in 1885, it got the first part of its name from the small amounts of cocaine added for energy. (The caffeine in the drink came from the Kola nut, so the name "Coca Cola" was chosen.) Cocaine was taken out of Coca Cola completely by the 1920's because of pressure from groups in the United States.

Effects of cocaine

When cocaine is applied topically (onto the skin or gums), it causes numbness.

When cocaine is smoked, chewed or eaten, inhaled into the nose ("snorted"), or injected into the veins, it causes people to feel euphoric (very happy), alert, very confident, and full of energy. This feeling is called being "high." Some people who take cocaine also have unpleasant feelings. They may feel worried, anxious, or even paranoid. They may also have physical symptoms, like shaking, a high heart rate, and high body temperature.

Cocaine as an illegal drug

Cocaine hydrochlotide powder

In most countries, it is illegal to make, sell, and use cocaine (unless it is being used for approved medical reasons).

As an illegal drug, cocaine can be used in its natural form, or it can be made into another form of cocaine called "crack" or "crack cocaine." Usually, crack is made by adding baking soda and water to cocaine and then heating the mixture. Crack is less pure than regular cocaine, and is usually less expensive. Crack is usually smoked, and it gives users a high that is very strong, but does not last as long as the high from regular cocaine. Both cocaine and crack are very addictive.

Dangers of using cocaine

If people use cocaine, they may take too much and get sick or even die. This is called an "overdose". When people take cocaine, they get intoxicated as well. When a person is intoxicated, they may do dangerous things, such as having unsafe sex with a person they do not know, or getting into a violent fight with a person.

If a person uses it for long, they can start to get weird feelings, like there are bugs crawling under their skin, or they can get paranoia (a feeling that there are people that want to hurt them).

Cocaine is a very addictive drug. It can lead to psychological and/or chemical dependency. When a person is addicted to a drug, they might do bad or criminal acts in order to get money for more drugs, such as crimes (for example theft, robbery, fraud, or prostitution).

Another danger from using cocaine is risk of infection via unhygienic ingestion methods (such as dirty needles). Use of such apparel can result in medical conditions such as AIDS or Hepatitis C.

Cocaine as a legal medicine

Cocaine is also occasionally used as a legal medicine in Australia and some parts of Europe, if a person has a prescription from a doctor. Doctors sometimes prescribe cocaine as an appetite suppressant, for people who want to lose weight.

Dentists in countries like Australia sometimes use cocaine in dental operations, as an anaesthetic. Anaesthetics are medicines or drugs which stop a person from having feelings in their body. Doctors, surgeons, and dentists use anaesthetics when they are doing operations, so that the patient will not feel pain. Dentists put the cocaine on the patient's mouth so that the patient will not feel pain in their mouth during the operation.

Other pages

• Crack, is a form of cocaine that comes in little crystals or "rocks."
• Illegal drugs, the drugs which are not legal to use in most countries.