Form: white powder which can be snorted, smoked(mixed with tobacco or pure
- freebasing), injected or rubbed on teeth or gums.
Duration of high: 30-60 minutes.
History: chewing of leaves from the coca bush (Erythraxylon coca) by South
Americans dates back to 2500BC at least. To the Incas the leaf was divine
and was used in religious ceremonies and for medical purposes. Cocaine only
really took of in Europe in the mid-nineteenth century when a German
chemists Freidrich Gaedake and Albert Niemann isolated the main alkaloid of
the coca leaf and it became known as cocaine. Said to be a wonder drug, it
was used in medicines, alcoholic and soft drinks and could be bought over
the counter in pure form. Vin Mariani was wine produced in the latter part
of the nineteenth century, containing extracts of coca leaves(endorsed by
the likes of the Tsar of Russia, Sarah Bernhardt and the then Prince of
Wales, later Edward VII)and, in 1886, Coca-Cola was launched on to the
market. It contained cocaine until 1903 and still contain de-cocainised
extracts from the coca plant. The sale of cocaine was only made illegal in
America in 1914 and in this country in 1917.
Highs: in the short term, cocaine makes you feel you can rule the world.
Users experience increased feelings of well being, excitement, pleasure,
confidence and energy. The drug also reduces the need to sleep or eat and
is relatively subtle so, witnessed by the untrained eye, behavioural
changes will largely go unnoticed.
Lows: cocaine increases breathing rate and raises blood pressure, heart
rate and body temperature. A small number of people have developed severe
respiratory problems and some of these users have died; other complain of
over-stimulation. Although for may years cocaine was thought to be only
psychologically rather than physically addictive, it is now believed that
prolonged use will lead to physical dependency. Although tolerance does not
increase with long-term use euphoria is often replaced by restlessness,
hypersensitivity, nausea, insomnia and weight loss. In some users, cocaine,
even in small amounts, can cause feelings of anxiety and/or aggression and
irritability. As with amphetamines, cocaine overdose is extremely rare.
Symptoms include extreme over-stimulation, racing pulse or palpitations,
severe chest pains, difficulty breathing, shaking sweating, muscle spasms
and general stiffness.
Tips: a mild sedative can sometimes alleviate unpleasant reactions to
cocaine. Never share needles if injecting because of the risk of AIDS.
