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Cocaine Addiction

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Cocaine Addiction
Written by Melissa Warren for Psychology

In this paper, I will explore what makes cocaine so addictive and why it is one of the most abused, and one of the most popular drugs in the world. Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs on the street and is the second most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. To better understand the drug, we first need to define exactly what cocaine is. Cocaine: A colorless or white crystalline alkaloid extracted from coca leaves. Cocaine is sometimes used in medicine as a local anesthetic, especially for the eyes, nose, or throat. It is also widely used as an illicit drug for its euphoric and stimulating effects. Chemical formula: C 17 H 21 NO 4 (Dictionary.com)
Crack cocaine is cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a free base for smoking. Cocaine is the smokable form of cocaine. It gets its name from the crackling sound it makes when smoked. Of these two similar drugs, cocaine is the most addictive since it is administered into the body the quickest. The faster the drug is absorbed into the blood, is relative to the length of the high. Since the high from crack only lasts from 10-15 minutes, people get addicted much more easily.(1)
When a person uses cocaine, they are changing the amounts of dopamine (a chemical related to pleasurable experiences) and in turn they disrupt the system which regulates this chemical. “With repeated use, cocaine can cause long-term changes in the brain’s reward system and in other brain systems as well, which may eventually lead to addiction.”(1) Eventually the person loses the body’s ability to regulate dopamine which makes them strive to get higher and higher each time. Since this is impossible to do, the addict will increase their dose because they have already become tolerant of the drug. By increasing their dose, they are making

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