Cocaine is derived from the coca plant and is a highly addictive stimulant. It is commonly snorted, smoked, or injected. Cocaine causes a short-term "high" by flooding the brain with dopamine but is followed by feelings of depression. Long-term cocaine use can lead to cardiovascular issues, strokes, seizures and cognitive impairment. While small possession can lead to jail time, large-scale drug trafficking often faces only fines, highlighting the need for reform of anti-drug policies.

1. Cocaine
BY: KATHERINE BECKER

2. Main Points
 What is cocaine?
 How is it used?
 Effects on the brain
 Short-term effects
 Long-term effects
 Medical complications
 Statistics
 Quote
 Thoughts & opinions
 Discussion questions

3. What is cocaine?
 Originally from the coca plant
 Derived from purified chemical cocaine hydrochloride
 Fine, white, crystalline powder
 Classified as a Schedule II drug
 High potential for abuse
 Can be prescribed for legitimate medical uses
 Street Drug
 Often called: Coke, C, Snow, Powder, Blow

4. How is it used?
 Inhalation
 Smoke cocaine and inhale vapor
 Intransanally
 Snort cocaine powder
 Intravenously
 Dissolve cocaine in water and inject it
 Orally
 Rub cocaine powder on gums

5. Effects on the brain
 Acts on the ventral tegmental area of the brain
 Stimulates pleasure centers of brain
 Dopamine is released and builds up causing feelings of
euphoria
 Last for about 10 mins
 Dopamine is reabsorbed causing feelings of depression
 Often leads individuals to use higher doses of the drug
immediately after

6. Short-term effects
 Short-term effects
 Slow onset; effects last for 15 – 30 mins
 Burst of energy, talkative, mentally alert, & hypersensitivity to sight, sound, touch
 Bizarre, erratic, & violent behavior
 Feelings of euphoria, restlessness, irritability, anxiety, panic, & paranoia
 Short-term physiological effects
 Constricts blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased body temp, heart rate, & blood pressure
 Tremors, vertigo, & muscle twitches

7. Long-term effects
 Long-term effects
 Increased tolerance
 Higher doses required to achieve desired effect
 Increased displeasure, irritability, restlessness, panic attacks, paranoia, & psychosis
 Auditory hallucinations
 Long-term physiological effects
 Loss of smell, nosebleeds, problems swallowing, asthma, risk of contracting Hepatitis C & HIV

8. Medical
complications
 Cardiovascular: heart
arrhythmia, heart attack
 Neurological: strokes, seizures,
coma, intracerebral
hemorrhage, impaired cognitive
functions
 Gastrointestinal: abdominal
pain, nausea, ulcers
 Weight loss, malnourishment
 Parkinson’s disease
 Sudden death

9. Striking Statistics
 Cocaine is the second most trafficked illegal drug in the world
 In 2014, there were an estimated 1.5 million current cocaine users aged 12 or older
 0.6 percent of the U.S. population
 In 2014, adults aged 18 - 25 years had a higher rate of current cocaine use than any other age
group
 1.4 percent pf the U.S. population
 In 2015, there were about 7,000 deaths in the U.S. due to cocaine overdose

10. Quote
You know, if you’re caught with an ounce of cocaine, the chances are good you’re going
to go to jail. If it happens repeatedly, you may go to jail for the rest of your life. But
evidently, if you launder nearly a billion dollars for drug cartels and violate our
international sanctions, your company pays a fine and you go home and sleep in your
own bed at night, every single individual associated with this. I think that’s
fundamentally wrong.
- Elizabeth Warren

11. Thoughts & Opinions
 I was surprised to learn about just how much cocaine is trafficked into the United States. I had
no idea that cocaine was the second most trafficked drug in the world. I feel as though a
significant amount of drug-related media today is dominated by focus on marijuana. I think
that a bigger focus needs to be put on the illegal trafficking and use of cocaine.
 I was also shocked by Elizabeth Warren’s quote regarding the regulation of cocaine-related
drug trafficking. It is clear that more focus needs to be put on the actual root cause of many of
the drug problems here in the United States. This root cause is the actual importation of
cocaine into this country. While many individuals do face criminal charges due to the
procession of cocaine, many other individuals face no more than a fine and a slap on the wrist
for actually importing the drug into this country.

12. Discussion
Questions
 Do you know anyone who is or
has been addicted to cocaine?
How has it affected their life?
 Young adults between the ages
of 18-25 were found to have the
highest rate of cocaine use.
What more do you think could
be done to educate these
individuals, and to help reduce
the high rate of drug use?

13. References
Cocaine. (2016, May). Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-
reports/cocaine/what-scope-cocaine-use-in-united-states
Crack Cocaine’s Effect on Brain (Simple Animation). (2017). Retrieved from http://drugabuse.com/cocaine-
and-the-brain/
Cocaine Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/cocaine.html?p=5
International Statistics. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/cocaine/international-
statistics.html