From severe mental health problems, brain damage to heart attacks, the dangers of cocaine use are real. In general this might seem like a fun or thrilling experience, but each snort can have a devastating impact on your health and life.

This video is part of a videoseries on the Dangers of Illicit Drugs. Find the playlists here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaG3Bo3L0gX5LqgWoZVqRxEDa1hYcEYzl

The origin of cocaine:
It all starts with the indigenous people of South America, which chewed on the leaves of the coca plant for thousand of years. Through the Spanish conquistadors this plant spread all over Europe and through Europe, all over the world. If we fast forwards to the 19th century, scientists were able to extract cocaine out the plant. This substance was thought of as a medicine, which supposedly could almost cure all problems and diseases. Not really. And ultimately, we arrived in the late 20th century, where cocaine starts to be used as a recreational drug; often called “blow,” “coke,” and “crack”.

Statistics:
Approximately 14% of all adults in the United States has tried cocaine. And about 8% of all men ages 18-25 have used it the past 12 months.

How does it work?
Cocaine stimulates the reward pathway in our brain. The deep areas of the brain that also light up when you are eating a delicious meal or enjoying a video game. It works by blocking the reabsorption of dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline. This creates to a higher concentration of those neurotransmitters in the reward pathways of your brain.

The "positive" effects:
Among others: increased alertness, euphoria, increased energy, increased feelings of competence and increased sexual arousal or libido.

The "negative" effects:
Among others: depression after a binge-crash cycle, anxiety, mood swings, delusions, hallucination, paranoia, restlessness, increase in risky behaviors, violent behavior, a fast heart rate, high blood pressure, dilated pupils, damage to your nasal passage, loss of smell, difficulties swallowing, chronic runny nose, hoarseness and constriction of blood vessels supplying blood to your heart or brain.

Longterm effects:
Among others: heart attacks, Cardiac arrhythmias, Strokes,Seizures, Permanent damage to the lungs, Perforation of the nasal cavities, Ulcers, Perforation of the stomach and intestines, Rhabdomyolysis, Decreased libido, abscesses and ultimately there is a high chance of death.

Withdrawal symptoms:
Among others: Exhaustion and fatigue, anhedonia, decreased concentration, depression, anxiety, craving for coke, pain, tremors, shakiness and chills.
All together, these symptoms are highly unpleasant, but cocaine withdrawal symptoms are RARELY medical emergencies. So you can do it. You can quit.

Overdose:
An overdose of coke may lead to; seizure, loss of awareness, loss of urine control, high body temperature, severe sweating, high blood pressure, a very fast heart rate, bluish color of the skin, fast breathing and ultimately death.

- Disclaimer: this video and the comments are meant purely informational! This is not medical advice! If you are looking for medical advice always contact your own doctor. -

Literature:
1: Mount Sinai. (2023). Cocaine intoxication. Mount Sinai.
2: Options. (2023). Cocaine Addiction Causes, Signs, & Symptoms. Options Behavioral Health System.
3: Barnett G. Hawks R. Resnick R. (1981). Cocaine pharmacokinetics in humans. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 3 (2–3): 353–66
4: Introduction to Pharmacology Third Edition. Abingdon: CRC Press. 2007. pp. 222–223.

* The images in this video are used for educational purposes only. Most of the images and video material in this video come from https://www.canva.com/.

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