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Cocaine

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Cocaine
Clinical data
Pronunciationkə(ʊ)ˈkeɪn
Trade namesNeurocaine,[3] Goprelto,[4] Numbrino,[5] others
SynonymsCoke, blow, snow, yay, crack (in free base form)
AHFS/Drugs.comMicromedex Detailed Consumer Information
License data
Dependence
liability		Physical: Low Psychological: High[1]
Addiction
liability		High[2]
Routes of
administration		Topical, by mouth, insufflation, intravenous, inhalation
Drug class
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability
MetabolismLiver, CYP3A4
MetabolitesNorcocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene
Onset of actionSeconds to minutes[12]
Duration of action20 to 90 minutes[12]
ExcretionKidney
Identifiers
  • Methyl (1R,2R,3S,5S)-3-(benzoyloxy)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octane-2-carboxylate
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
PDB ligand
ECHA InfoCard100.000.030 Edit this at Wikidata
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC17H21NO4
Molar mass303.36 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
Melting point98 °C (208 °F)
Boiling point187 °C (369 °F)
Solubility in water1.8g/L (22 °C)
  • CN1[C@H]2CC[C@@H]1[C@@H](C(OC)=O)[C@@H](OC(C3=CC=CC=C3)=O)C2
  • InChI=1S/C17H21NO4/c1-18-12-8-9-13(18)15(17(20)21-2)14(10-12)22-16(19)11-6-4-3-5-7-11/h3-7,12-15H,8-10H2,1-2H3/t12-,13+,14-,15+/m0/s1 checkY
  • Key:ZPUCINDJVBIVPJ-LJISPDSOSA-N checkY
 ☒NcheckY (what is this?)  (verify)

Cocaine (also cocain) is a strong stimulant drug that is made from coca leaves. It is illegal in most countries. Cocaine is usually a white powder. Because it is a stimulant, cocaine gives people energy. It also makes people feel very happy when it is taken. 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) and this was how it was first used.[13] The name comes from: "coca" - the plant it comes from - and "-ine" - anesthetic.

Origin and effects

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Where cocaine comes from

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Leaves of the Coca plant

The Inca of Peru were consumers. [14] Cocaine is taken from the leaves of the coca plant of South America. [15] Coca plants are mostly grown in South America, in countries like Brazil or Argentina. When Spanish conquistadors (explorers) discovered coca plants, they sent them back to Europe. People started using cocaine as a medicine, as well as in drinks and food. This was because they did not know how damaging and addictive the drug could be when used.

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 "handful of coca leaves" added to the drink 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 1920s because of pressure from groups in the United States.

Effects of cocaine

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

When cocaine is 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 cannot be smoked in its normal form. It must react with another chemical to form crack cocaine, which can be smoked. This is because burning normal cocaine destroys it, so the user does not get the effect they want.

Cocaine as an illegal drug

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Cocaine hydrochloride powder
Crack cocaine

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

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

Dangers of using cocaine

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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 cocaine for a long time, they can start to get strange 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 physical dependence. 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). If the person tries to stop using cocaine, they will go through cocaine withdrawal.

Another danger from using cocaine is the risk of infection when using unsafe ways of taking cocaine (like using dirty needles when injecting cocaine). A person can get infectious diseases like HIV or Hepatitis C when they use cocaine in these ways.

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Cocaine was originally used as a topical anesthetic. This is where the prefix ("-ine") comes from.

Cocaine is also used as an ADHD medication in various countries around the world legally.[16][17]

Notes and references

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  1. ↑ Ghodse H (2010). Ghodse's Drugs and Addictive Behaviour: A Guide to Treatment (4 ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-139-48567-8. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017.
  2. ↑ Introduction to Pharmacology (3 ed.). Abingdon: CRC Press. 2007. pp. 222–223. ISBN 978-1-4200-4742-4. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017.
  3. ↑ Nordegren T (2002). The A-Z Encyclopedia of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Universal-Publishers. p. 461. ISBN 978-1-58112-404-0. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  4. ↑ Cite error: The named reference Goprelto FDA label was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  5. ↑ Cite error: The named reference Numbrino FDA label was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  6. ↑ Azizi SA (December 2020). "Monoamines: Dopamine, Norepinephrine, and Serotonin, Beyond Modulation, "Switches" That Alter the State of Target Networks". The Neuroscientist. 28 (2): 121–143. doi:10.1177/1073858420974336. ISSN 1073-8584. PMID 33292070. S2CID 228080727.
  7. ↑ "DEA / Drug Scheduling". www.dea.gov. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Fattinger K, Benowitz NL, Jones RT, Verotta D (July 2000). "Nasal mucosal versus gastrointestinal absorption of nasally administered cocaine". European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 56 (4): 305–10. doi:10.1007/s002280000147. PMID 10954344. S2CID 20708443.
  9. ↑ Barnett G, Hawks R, Resnick R (1981). "Cocaine pharmacokinetics in humans". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 3 (2–3): 353–66. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(81)90063-5. PMID 7242115.
  10. ↑ Jeffcoat AR, Perez-Reyes M, Hill JM, Sadler BM, Cook CE (1989). "Cocaine disposition in humans after intravenous injection, nasal insufflation (snorting), or smoking". Drug Metabolism and Disposition. 17 (2): 153–9. PMID 2565204.
  11. ↑ Wilkinson P, Van Dyke C, Jatlow P, Barash P, Byck R (March 1980). "Intranasal and oral cocaine kinetics". Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 27 (3): 386–94. doi:10.1038/clpt.1980.52. PMID 7357795. S2CID 29851205.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Cite error: The named reference Zimmerman2012 was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
  13. ↑ Macmillan Dictionary for Students Macmillan, Pan Ltd. (1981), page 192. Retrieved 2010-7-21.
  14. ↑ P F Brain, G A Coward A review of the history, actions, and legitimate uses of cocaine J Subst Abuse. 1989;1(4):431-51.
  15. ↑ Michaela Patafio reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH Cocaine use and its effects WebMD
  16. ↑ Oswaks, Molly (2011-12-14). "My Struggle With ADD: Using Cocaine to Fight the Symptoms". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  17. ↑ "Cocaine and ADHD: Everything you should know". www.medicalnewstoday.com. 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
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