Shada Gai-Baldeh
Mr. Aramini
CWP 101
12/5/17
Cocaine is one of the most addictive drug stimulants in the world. It is made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America.There is also a cocaine immunization that has been produced that makes anti-cocaine antibodies. The distribution of cocaine as a drug has brought both epidemics and violence to many countries. One of the many reasons of the war on drugs in countries such as the U.S., Mexico, and Colombia. Cocaine is at the heart of the annual drug trade which is worth $356 billion. Cocaine is also used to make crack, which is also considered to be more addictive than raw cocaine. Crack cocaine is formed as a crystal after it is dissolved in water mixed with baking soda. It comes in solid blocks or crystals varying in color from yellow to pale rose or white.
Cocaine and crack have different appearances. Cocaine is for the most part found in white powder frame, and crack is found in a stone shape that is by and large white, cream, tan, or light dark colored. Crack and cocaine additionally vary in the way in which they are utilized. Cocaine is ordinarily grunted, and break is commonly smoked. “Crack causes a short-lived, intense high that is immediately followed by the opposite—intense depression, edginess and a craving for more of the drug. People who use it often don’t eat or sleep properly. They can experience greatly increased heart rate, muscle spasms and convulsions. The drug can make people feel paranoid, angry, hostile and anxious—even when they aren’t high(drugfreeworld.org).”
Cocaine has been being used as a stimulant for as long as 6000 years ago by the Incans in South America. Native Peruvians would chew on leaves of the coca plant as part of religious rituals that would give them a high which would include hallucinations. In the same jungles the Incan Empires were located is the same place where illegal cocaine labs are located today. Now the U.S. has helped Latin countries pursue drug traffickers that gain a fortune on smuggling cocaine and other drugs into the U.S. and also enforced life sentences for those convicted of drug trafficking. Cocaine turned Miami into a war-zone during the time of prime of Pablo Escobar and his drug cartel’s hold on the drug empire.
During the early 1990s, drug cartels in Colombia produced and exported 500 to 800 tons of cocaine each year. Sending cocaine shipments to the U.S., Europe and Asia using many different methods, such as boats, planes, and cocaine packaging by swallowing. Two of the main cartels responsible for almost 85% of cocaine distribution in the U.S. were the Medellin and Cali cartels. They were dismantled by law enforcement agencies in the mid-1990s, and replaced by much smaller groups all over the planet. There are more than 300 drug smuggling organizations in Colombia today. After cocaine is brought in the U.S., drug dealers pack it and sell it in clubs, street corners and by schools. Miami became the murder capital in the 80’s because of the cocaine epidemic and the struggle of cocaine control on the street corners. “The effects of cocaine on society can be traced far back in time. The damaging effects of cocaine and its destructive influences in Western society were first observed over 100 years ago. They led to the national and international establishment of strict legal controls to limit the use of cocaine to medical applications only.(stopcocaineaddiction.com)”
Cocaine can have traumatic effects on an human body. “When cocaine is taken in small amounts, usually up to 100 mg, it produces feelings of empowerment, self-esteem, euphoria, temporarily decreased need for food and rest, and an unusual rush of energy. Some users find that snorting cocaine helps them perform simple physical and intellectual tasks more quickly, while others may experience the opposite effects (Addictionblog.org). What happens when you snort cocaine?” Many cocaine addicts experience weight loss, increased heart rate and body temperature. Cocaine is also reported to be very addictive. It stimulates key pleasure centers within the brain and causes extremely heightened euphoria which can increase a person’s want for it.
There are many cocaine rehabilitation centers in the United States with treatments that can help patients out as quick as 30 days and up to a year for people with more severe addictions. The process involves detoxification, in which the body is cleansed of the harmful cocaine substance. “Detox can be a scary time because of painful withdrawal symptoms that often arise. When you become addicted to a drug your brain requires this drug to feel good, function normally, and avoid withdrawal symptoms (4 Steps of The Drug Rehabilitation Process by Kelly Fitzgerald).” Then patients go into rehabilitation to gain a better understanding of the addiction and how it affects the body. Lastly, is aftercare in which the patients make a plan for when they get out of rehab. Scientists have discovered a cocaine vaccine that has been produced that makes anti-cocaine antibodies.
“According to the US Department of Justice, crack cocaine is more psychologically addicting than powder cocaine, and is thus more likely to result in chronic and heavy use. In addition, the drug is more commonly associated with systemic violence than its counterpart(cocaine.org).” Crack cocaine is the most popularly used version of cocaine. Smoking cocaine rocks began in the late 1970’s. The method of smoking cocaine came from the distributors trying the product before purchasing from the manufacturers.
Today, cocaine is still being smuggled into countries at high rates. “There are two basic forms of cocaine: powdered and freebase. The powdered form is a hydrochloride salt that dissolves in water; freebase is a compound that has not been neutralized by an acid to make hydrochloride salt. The freebase form of cocaine can be smoked, as is "crack" cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a freebase for smoking (psychologytoday.com).” Smoking crack allows the chemicals from the crystal to reach the brain rather quickly but brings an intense but quick high that lasts about 15 minutes. It can cause someone to be addicted after their first try. Crack usually attracts those who want a cheaper, faster and more intense high.
“Cocaine is expensive to buy on the streets. Crack was developed as a cheaper alternative to cocaine, making it more easily affordable”, to people in low-income based neighborhoods. “These people had less disposable income available to spend on drugs, but they were seeking options to get high. By the 1980s, there was an epidemic of crack use in these communities (americanaddictioncenters.org).” The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 forced a minimum five year sentence for possessing 5 grams of crack which affected many people, especially African Americans during the crack epidemic. The Fair-Sentencing Act of 2010 raised the amount of grams of cocaine to receive the minimum of 5 years in jail to 28 grams.
Many teens fall under peer pressure when they go to parties or even in school to do drugs along with fellow teens and don’t really understand what they are doing to their bodies. In many schools today, they are programs that inform kids about the harm and consequences that can happen to them by participating in using drugs such as crack and cocaine. Due to their age, affects of cocaine are more lethal because teen brains are still growing. Teens are also often unaware of how easy it can be to overdose on the drug. In many places in the U.S., high school and college students have easy connections to drugs to either sell or using it for their own recreational use.
-“Watch Truth About Drugs Documentary Video & Learn About Substance Addiction. Get The Facts About Painkillers, Marijuana, Cocaine, Meth & Other Illegal Drugs.” Foundation for a Drug-Free World, www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/crackcocaine.html.
-“Some Basic Information About Cocaine Addiction.” Signs of Drug Use, www.stopcocaineaddiction.org/.
-Blog, Addiction BlogAddiction. “Addiction Blog.” Addictionblog.org, Addiction Blog, addictionblog.org/treatment/cocaine-rehabilitation-how-long/.
-“The Difference Between Powder Cocaine and Crack Cocaine.” Cocaine.org, 7 Dec. 2015, cocaine.org/the-difference-between-powder-cocaine-and-crack-cocaine/.
-“Cocaine.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 11 Nov. 2016, www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/cocaine.
-“Crack vs Cocaine: Ingredients, Effects, Users & Crime Stats.” American Addiction Centers, americanaddictioncenters.org/cocaine-treatment/differences-with-crack/.