Cocaine and the Nervous System Essay examples -- Drug Drugs Coke Cocai

Cocaine and the Nervous System All drugs have a negative effect on the nervous system, but few can match the dramatic impact of cocaine. Cocaine is one of the most potent, addictive, and unpredictable recreational drugs, and thus can cause the most profound and irreversible damage to the nervous system. The high risk associated with cocaine remains the same regardless of whether the drug is snorted, smoked, or injected into the user ¡Ã‚ ¯s bloodstream. In addition to the intense damage cocaine can cause to the liver, intestines, heart, and lungs, even casual use of the drug will impair the brain and cause serious damage to the central nervous system. Although cocaine use affects many components of the body, including vision and appetite, the most significant damage cause by cocaine takes place in the brain and central nervous system. Spanish explorers first observe South American natives chewing the cocoa leaf, from which cocaine is derived, when they arrived on the continent in 16th century. The South Americans chewed these cocoa leaves in order to stay awake for longer periods of time. Centuries after this initial discovery, Albert Neiman isolated cocaine from the cocoa leaf in 1860. Neiman used this extraction as an anesthetic. Over the ensuing years, cocaine use became increasingly common and was even sanctioned by doctors, who prescribed the drug to aid recovering alcoholics. Cocaine was even a key ingredient in such popular beverages as Coca- Cola. It was not until the long-term health problems associated with cocaine use emerged that the public realized that the drug was harmful and highly addictive (2). Cocaine is a versatile drug which can be ingested in a variety of ways. In its purest form, coc... ...te an artificial high. Cocaine can cause serious damage to the nervous system, as it eats away chunks of the brain and increases blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature, often for the rest of the addict ¡Ã‚ ¯s life. Sources Cited: 1)Drug information: Cocaine http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/drug_info_cocaine.asp 2)Cocaine http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/coca.html 3)The Effects of Cocaine on the Developing Nervous System https://cognet.mit.edu/login/?return_url=%2Flibrary%2Ferefs%2Fnelson%2Fn33%2Fabstract.html 4)The Physical Effects of Cocaine http://www.shesinrecovery.com/addiction/cocaineeffects.html 5)As a Matter of Fact http://www.well.com/user/woa/fscoke.htm 6)Crack and Cocaine http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/cocaine.html 7)Cocaine Brain Damage may be Permanent http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/news.asp?Id=6376