Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca plant. It's a stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system. Cocaine is a highly addictive drug due to its impact on the natural reward pathway of the brain. When used in medical pharmacology, it's effective as an anesthetic; however, using this drug in any other manner is illegal and highly dangerous. No matter the form or method of cocaine use, the drug presents dangers to users' physical and psychological well-being.
Physical
The initial effects of cocaine last less than an hour, and the typical rewards of initial use include alertness, euphoria, energy and increased sexual performance. However, physical health problems also result from immediate and long-term use: elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate and a potential heart attack. Chronic cocaine use further impacts the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, leading to mis-communication of these chemicals with other systems of the body. Additional health dangers include lung damage, degradation of cartilage in the nose and increased risk of autoimmune diseases.
Psychological
Due to the impact cocaine has on the regulation of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain responsible for mood, appetite, sleep and energy levels, mental health disturbance is another danger associated with cocaine use. In heavy users, depression and suicidal ideation are common because of cocaine damaging the dopamine receptors. Cocaine also impacts serotonin, another neurotransmitter associated with depressive mood disorder. In acute use, anxiety is also commonly reported since the drug is a stimulant that activates the "fight or flight" response associated with anxiety. Cocaine psychosis can develop in the worst cases, with symptoms that mimic paranoid schizophrenia.
Overdose
The most detrimental danger of cocaine use is accidental overdose, with symptoms such as convulsions, heart failure, depressed respiration and significant pain. The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that there is an additional danger of overdose when cocaine is combined with alcohol in a drug called cocaethylene. Cocaethylene increases the impact of euphoria in cocaine users, but this chemical mixture creates a third substance that can lead to sudden death quicker than just using cocaine alone.
