Cocaine
Cocaine is very expensive and thus it's popular only among middle and higher classes of society; in 1960s – golden age of cocaine – snorting was fashionable among people of success. Nowadays, cocaine occurs as a white powder sniffed up the nose or crack. Crack is a smokable form of cocaine. Long term use leads to weight loss, restlessness, nausea, hyperactivity, insomnia and in consequence of these effects exhaustion and strong run down, partial loss of voice and breathing problems. Cocaine is illegal to manufacture, supply and possess. There is some interesting historical facts about cocaine use. Coca-Cola was originally sold with cocaine as an ingredient (up to 1904). Coca-laced wines were popular among popes and royalty in the nineteenth century and Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle was a cocaine user.
Stimulants Abuse and Addiction – foreword
Trade
Trade & street names | cocaine, coca, coke, blanca, crack (small lumps, smokable form of cocaine), flake, nieve, perico, snow, soda |
Products | no commercial products (illegal substance) |
Medical info
Class | stimulants |
Medical use | no medical use |
Routes | snorted (sniffed up the nose through a rolled banknote), smoked, chewed (coca leaves or crack), injected (solution) |
Effects of use | effects are strong, quick and short-lasting: energy increase, increased self-confidence and alertness, excitation, euphoria, increased pulse rate & blood pressure, insomnia, loss of appetite, dry mouth, sweating after effects are fatigue, depression (come down from the high) |
Effects of overdose | agitation, increased body temperature, anxious, panic feelings; large doses and doses repeated frequently lead to hallucinations, convulsions, extreme anxiety, paranoia and possible death (death are rare and because of heart failure or respiratory failure) |
Withdrawal effects | apathy, long periods of sleep, irritability, depression, disorientation |
Onset | very quick |
Duration of action | 0.5 - 2 hours |
Chemistry
Chemical name | methyl(1R,2R,3S,5S)-3- (benzoyloxy)-8-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1] octane-2-carboxylate |
Chemical formula | C17H21NO4 |
Molecular mass | 303.35 g/mol |
