Cocaine Research Paper

What is cocaine? Cocaine is a powerful and highly addictive (due to the way it functions) stimulant that is considered one of the deadliest drugs to date. When someone intakes this substance, it results in euphoric emotions, adding on to why it is deemed highly addictive. Cocaine overdose occurs when a person ingests enough of the drug to result in fatal side effects, normally ending with death. In 2011, just over half a million of the drug-related visits to emergency rooms were due to cocaine, and in 2014, more than 5,000 people died from cocaine overdosages. Aside from these facts, there are many other factors that can be addressed when thinking about cocaine abuse. What is cocaine classified as? According to Drugabuse.gov, “Today, cocaine

A lot of people who abuse cocaine end up passing it down through their families. People with whose parent have this substance use disorder are at a greater risk to develop a cocaine addiction than those who do not. Normally if a person is repeatedly exposed to something, they begin to become used to it. In regards to cocaine, consistent exposures to it can trigger a chemical in the brain called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that sends signals in between the nerve cells of the brain. This ties into the rush feeling that happens when cocaine is used. This rush is what furthers the progression of complete addiction to cocaine. The brain’s structure also plays a significant role in why people become addicted to cocaine. In the brain, there are two structures near the front of the brain called the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Studies have found that these two structures are connected to the craving for drugs such as cocaine. These structures are shown to look different when comparing a cocaine-free brain with a brain that has been exposed to

If one is worried about one's use of cocaine and have the symptoms mentioned earlier, then there is a strong likelihood that person is addicted to the substance, so he/she should get care as soon as possible. That might prove difficult given there is no FDA approved treatment for cocaine yet. Scientists have attempted to use medication to act on the dopamine center called D3, which is the receptor that is abundant in the emotion and reward centers of the brain. The newest research deals with a “cocaine vaccine that could help reduce the risk of relapse. The vaccine stimulates the immune system to create cocaine-specific antibodies that bind to cocaine, preventing it from getting into the brain," states Drugabuse.gov. After the treatments, then what should one do? As stated before in a previous section, cocaine is a schedule II drug, and those types are very difficult to get out of someone’s system. “Furthermore, the length of time it will take cocaine to leave a person’s system depends on how frequent and heavy the cocaine use was,” (Drug.addictionblog.org). So, basically, the steps after the treatment are different for everyone; it all depends on how addicted the person