While cocaine is classified as a narcotic drug, it doesn’t have the narcotic properties of the opiates. Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca plant, a shrub that grows in Java and several South American countries. Don’t confuse the coca plant with the cacao plant, from which we get cocoa and chocolate.
Cocaine has two different effects on the body. Skin or mucous membrane is numbed when cocaine is applied to it. Doctors may use it as a local anesthetic during treatment or minor surgery of the nose and other areas of skin and mucous membranes.
When used in drug abuse, it is sniffed and absorbed by the mucous membranes of the noseand throat. It can also be injected in solution form. Its effect is similar to strong amphetamines, causing a temporary feeling of pleasure and liveliness. This is especially true in people who are normally depressed and poorly adjusted. However, this stimulation is followed by depression and, often, a feeling of great fear. Cocaine users may become violent and belligerent when they are “high”. Cocaine does not produce physical addiction, although it does cause extreme craving and mental dependence. Cocaine is expensive and difficult to obtain. For these reasons, it has not been a serious problem in drug abuse. Recently, however, and its abuse may become a greater problem.
Cocaine has two different effects on the body. Skin or mucous membrane is numbed when cocaine is applied to it. Doctors may use it as a local anesthetic during treatment or minor surgery of the nose and other areas of skin and mucous membranes.
When used in drug abuse, it is sniffed and absorbed by the mucous membranes of the noseand throat. It can also be injected in solution form. Its effect is similar to strong amphetamines, causing a temporary feeling of pleasure and liveliness. This is especially true in people who are normally depressed and poorly adjusted. However, this stimulation is followed by depression and, often, a feeling of great fear. Cocaine users may become violent and belligerent when they are “high”. Cocaine does not produce physical addiction, although it does cause extreme craving and mental dependence. Cocaine is expensive and difficult to obtain. For these reasons, it has not been a serious problem in drug abuse. Recently, however, and its abuse may become a greater problem.
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