COCAINE OVERVIEW

• Cocaine changes your brain chemistry.

• It blocks the removal of dopamine, a natural chemical linked to pleasure.

• This buildup causes a fast rush of high energy and intense happiness.

• The high lasts only a short time, from a few minutes to an hour.

Common Forms

• Powder: A white, fine crystal powder. People usually snort it through the nose or mix it with water to inject into a vein.

• Crack: A solid rock form. People heat it and smoke the vapors. This form reaches the brain very fast and creates an intense craving.

Health Risks

• Heart Damage: It raises your heart rate and blood pressure. This can cause heart attacks, strokes, and sudden death, even in young people.

• Mental Health: It causes extreme anxiety, anger, and paranoia.

• Addiction: The drug changes brain pathways quickly. Users need more of the drug to feel normal. Stopping use leads to severe depression and deep fatigue.

Legal Status

• In most countries, recreational cocaine is strictly illegal due to high rates of abuse and harm.

• In very rare medical settings, doctors use a liquid form as a local anesthetic to numb tissues during specific nose or throat surgeries.