Is Cocaine Not Addictive?

Published May 17, 2010

People are often misinformed that cocaine is not addictive since studies show that it does not share the same physical addiction that drugs like alcohol and heroin have. But the powerful psychological effects it causes are just as dangerous.

Cocaine addiction has numerous physiological and psychological side effects. The adverse effects of cocaine’s appear almost immediately after a single dose, and fade away within a few minutes or hours. Cocaine can cause intense vasospasm of blood vessels, dilate pupils, increase the heart rate and blood pressure and can also generate a febrile response.

Cocaine produces an artificial feeling of pleasure by chemically mimicking certain normal brain messenger chemicals. These chemicals in cocaine produce positive feelings in response to signals from the brain.

There are two fundamental forms of cocaine: powdered and “freebase.” The powdered form easily dissolves in water whereas freebase is a mixture that has not been neutralized by an acid. The freebase form is usually smoked or snorted.

Cocaine may be inhaled (snorting), injected or smoked. Irrespective of the method of intake, cocaine is still a potentially deadly agent. Most individuals report that the psychotic features and habituation are more rapid and pronounced after smoking cocaine, compared to other methods.

Use of cocaine in a binge, during which the drug is taken repeatedly and at increasingly high doses, may lead to a state of increasing irritability, restlessness, and paranoia. This can result in a period of full-blown paranoid psychosis, in which the user loses touch with reality and experiences auditory hallucinations.

The effects of cocaine use include heart attacks, respiratory failure, strokes, and seizures. Large amounts can cause bizarre and violent behavior. In rare cases, sudden death can occur on the first use of cocaine or unexpectedly thereafter.

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Is Cocaine Not Addictive?

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