Affects Of Cocaine Abuse

Cocaine abuse is potentially high in many nations around the world and is the second most abused illicit drug in the US. Cocaine is highly addictive drug that can rapidly develop into serious addiction in a short period. According to the Minnesota Institute for Public Health and Drug Prevention Resource Center, 5,000 adults in the United States try cocaine for the first time each day. Cocaine use among men is almost twice than women.

Cocaine Abuse and its affects
Cocaine can be ingested by inhaling (snorting), smoking or injecting. Whichever is the method of ingestion, cocaine abuse poses high risks to the abused – mentally, physically and socially.

Affects on brain:
Cocaine, when taken in small amounts, makes the abused feel more euphoric, energetic, and mentally alert. As the abuser continues, he gets more tolerant to high doses of drug and finally gets addicted to the drug. Long-term usage of cocaine results in increased irritability, restlessness, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and paranoia.

Affects on body:
Affects of Cocaine abuse on the physical body are decreased appetite and sleep, increased heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure, muscle spasms and convulsions, and dilated pupils. Repeated snorting of cocaine has high potential of damaging the nasal tissues. Long-term usage of cocaine results in rhythm heart attacks, chest pain, respiratory failure, strokes, seizures, headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, etc.

Affects on emotions:
Large-intakes of cocaine triggers violent and erratic behavior in the abused. As the abuse of the drug keeps increasing we can see a significant change in the behavior of the abused like lying, cheating, and stealing, becoming anxious, hostile or angry without any reason, etc.

Spread of dreadful diseases:
The injections and needles used for cocaine abuse are often not sterilized and might have been used by many others earlier. Neither the trafficker nor the abused are least concerned about it. This makes the cocaine abuse highly potential for the transmission of diseases like HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, etc.

Cocaine abuse can often lead to seizures or fatal heart attacks, though it is used for the first time. Adolescents are more vulnerable to drug abuse, and abuse of drugs like cocaine can lead to addiction, within short time. Thus, it is important to find the addiction in early stages and take necessary measures.