Like heroin, for example, cocaine is an illegal narcotic and falls under the Narcotics Act. This means that possession and trafficking of cocaine are prohibited and subject to criminal prosecution. Depending on the processing, cocaine is also known as snow, coke, crack and rocks.
Cocaine – extraction and use
Cocaine is an alcoloid from the leaves of the South American coca bush (Erythroxylon coca). These contain about one percent cocaine, which is first chemically processed into a coca paste, from which the soluble cocaine salt (cocaine hydrochloride) is then extracted: the typical white, crystalline powder that has a purity of 20 to 80 percent when snorted. The procedure is familiar from many movies: draw the powder into a line on a smooth surface and suck it into the upper nasal cavity using a small suction tube (e.g., rolled-up banknote). Cocaine can also be injected, for which you must first dissolve it.
“Crack,” which is cocaine boiled up with baking soda, is usually smoked. It is even more dangerous than cocaine, as it can be addictive from the first use.
Cocaine – the effect
Cocaine boosts self-esteem and produces feelings of happiness. In the brain, cocaine causes various interactions. Above all, it boosts dopamine production: Dopamine is a nerve messenger responsible for the elation that arises. The body also releases the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin, which massively stimulate the central nervous system.
When the intoxicating effects subside, anxiety and aggression can develop. This is often accompanied by auditory or visual hallucinations. The end of the cocaine high is heralded by dejection, fatigue and exhaustion. Feelings of guilt, self-reproach and suicidal thoughts are also possible.
Cocaine – the consequences
Acute risks of cocaine use are increased body temperature, palpitations, high blood pressure, seizures, increased aggressiveness, paranoid delusions and hallucinations, confusion and impaired consciousness (up to coma), paralysis of the respiratory center, heart attack.
Medium- and long-term consequences of regular cocaine use through the nose (snorting) include sinusitis, frequent nosebleeds, a diminished sense of smell and taste, damage to the nasal mucosa, and even a hole in the nasal septum (nasal septal perforation). The microscopic injuries in the nose also allow more germs to enter the bloodstream, often leading to severe brain abscesses.
Cocaine smokers are also prone to respiratory illness.
Both occasional and regular use of cocaine are addictive – primarily on a psychological level. With high doses of cocaine, as well as with crack smoking, this can happen within a few weeks. Those affected then increasingly increase the drug dose, because the mood-lifting (euphoric) effect quickly wears off with increasing habituation.
When cocaine is discontinued, withdrawal symptoms occur, such as fatigue, exhaustion, lack of energy, depression, sexual aversion and a strong need for sleep. These symptoms can last for weeks. The craving for cocaine lasts even longer.
