Download Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine Addiction
Erin Gautreau
3310577
What is it?
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Cocaine is a very addictive stimulant drug.
Stimulants make people feel more alert and energetic.
Cocaine can also make people feel “high”.
Crack is cocaine in a form that can be smoked.
Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca bush, which
grows in the Andes Mountains in South America.
Today, most of the world’s coca is grown and made into
cocaine in South America.
http://www.camh.net/About_Addiction_Mental_Health/Drug_and_Addiction_Information/
about_cocaine.html
Where it got its name?
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Some claim that the name “crack” comes
from the cracking sound made when it is
smoked, and others believe that it refers to
the cracking of the glass pipes when
smoked.
Described in 1986 as “a new drug
epidemic” in the United States, its
appearance in Canada came later.
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pdf_extract/127/6/1315
Street Names
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Snow
Powder lines
Freebase
Crack
Big C
Angie
Hard
Nose candy
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Dust
Rock
Coke
Flake
Blow
Charlie
Henry
Stardust
http://www.camh.net/About_Addiction_Mental_Health/Drug_and_Addiction_Information/
about_cocaine.html
What Does Cocaine Look Like?
Cocaine can be:
 a powder (for snorting)
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a liquid (for injecting)
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crystals or chunks (for
smoking)
http://www.camh.net/About_Addiction_Mental_Health/Drug_and_Addiction_Information/
about_cocaine.html
In many countries, cocaine is a
popular recreational drug.
http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1&sa=1&q=+cocaine&btnG=Se
arch&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&start=0
Is Cocaine Addictive?
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Yes, cocaine is a very addictive drug.
Not everyone who uses cocaine becomes
addicted. But if you do, it can be one of the
hardest drugs to quit. It is also hard to stay off
cocaine if you do quit, because the memory of the
“high” feeling is so powerful.
People who become addicted to cocaine feel a
strong need for the drug, even when they know it
causes them problems. Getting and taking
cocaine can become the most important thing in
their lives.
http://www.camh.net/About_Addiction_Mental_Health/Drug_and_Addiction_Information/
about_cocaine.html
Can Cocaine Cause Serious Problems?
Yes, and no matter how cocaine is taken,
it is dangerous.
 Some of the most common serious
problems include:
 Heart problems (heart attack)
 Respiratory effects (respiratory failure)
 Nervous system problems (stroke)
 Digestive problems
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cocaine.html
Should One Ever Take Cocaine?
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There is perhaps one single predictable time in life when
taking crack-cocaine is reasonable or sensible, not to
mention harmless and both emotionally and intellectually
satisfying.
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English doctors would once give an elixir known as the
"Brompton cocktail“ to terminally-ill cancer patients. This was
a judiciously-blended mixture of cocaine, heroin and alcohol.
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The results were gratifying not just to the recipient. Relatives
of the stricken patient were pleased too at the new-found look
of spiritual peace and happiness in the features of a loved
one as they prepare for death.
http://www.cocaine.org/
Cocaine was marketed as a fast-acting
anesthetic back in the day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine
Modern Usage in Canada
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Cocaine use began in Canada in the early 1970s.
Cocaine users now represent about 20% of drug users
in treatment and large numbers have been recently
convicted for cocaine-related offenses.
Cocaine use is now at a relatively low level in Canada,
but there is a substantial cocaine and crack use
problem.
Rates of use are highest among students, young males
and those in large cities.
Use is declining among students and adults.
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a905509473&db=all
Modern Usage in the U.S.A.
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In the United States, the development of "crack"
cocaine introduced the substance to a generally
poorer inner-city market.
Use of the powder form has stayed relatively
constant, experiencing a new height of use during
the late 1990s and early 2000s in the U.S.
The estimated U.S. cocaine market exceeded $70
billion in street value for the year 2005, exceeding
revenues by corporations such as Starbucks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine
Buyers/Purchasers
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There is a tremendous demand for cocaine
in the U.S. market, particularly among
those who are making incomes affording
luxury spending, such as single adults and
professionals with discretionary income.
Cocaine’s status as a club drug shows its
immense popularity among the “party
crowd”, young adults and teens.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine
Drug Supplies: needles, pipes, straws, spoons
http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=cocaine&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=&aql=
&oq=
Short Term Effects:
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agitated
nervous
euphoria ("high")
mentally alert
energetic
talkative
senses of sight, sound,
and touch are heightened
physical and mental
fatigue
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reduced appetite
increased blood pressure
and heart rate
exaggerated reflexes
rapid breathing
dilation of pupils
dry mouth
anxiety
paranoid thinking
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/drugs-drogues/learn-renseigne/cocaine-eng.php
Long Term Effects:
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depressed
mood swings
restless
erratic
bizarre
violent
psychotic
paranoid
hallucination
delusional
trouble sleeping
sexual dysfunction
high blood pressure
irregular heart beat
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red, chapped, runny nose that
bleeds often
may lose sense of smell and
develop sinus infections
chest pain
breathing difficulties (crack lung)
social problems
preoccupied with buying,
preparing, and using the drug
school and job performance may
suffer
sharing drug supplies, such as
needles, pipes, straws, and
spoons, can spread viruses
these include HIV, hepatitis B, and
hepatitis C
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/drugs-drogues/learn-renseigne/cocaine-eng.php
How it is produced?
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Crack is produced by mixing cocaine,
water, and baking soda or sodium
bicarbonate and boiling the mixture until the
water has evaporated.
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A waxy substance containing the alkali and
cocaine remains.
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pdf_extract/127/6/1315
How quick it works and lasts?
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The intensity of cocaine depends on the dose and
rate of entry to the brain.
The faster the absorption, the shorter the high
lasts.
Intravenous injection of cocaine produces a rush
in 15 to 30 seconds.
The high from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes.
The high from smoking may last 5 to 10 minutes.
http://www.sunshinecoasthealthcentre.ca/crack-cocaine.html
The Result: “Coke Crash”
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Once the drug leaves the brain, the user
experiences a “coke crash” that includes
depression, irritability, and fatigue. To avoid
withdrawal, repeated frequent doses are
taken.
http://www.sunshinecoasthealthcentre.ca/crack-cocaine.html
SELF-HELP GROUPS FOR COCAINE
ADDICTION:
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Cocaine Anonymous
Phone: (310)559-5833
Open 9 AM to 5 PM Monday to Friday
(Pacific Standard Time)
Narcotics Anonymous
Phone: (818)773-9999
Open 8 AM to 5 PM Monday to Friday
(Pacific Standard Time
http://www.sunshinecoasthealthcentre.ca/crack-cocaine.html