COCAINE THE DRUG

Cocaine; The Drug



Cocaine the Drug

The earliest traces of coca leaves were found in a Peruvian tomb dating back about 500 years. During the Inca Empire, Mr. chewed coca leaves and the priests used them as a burnt offering in honor of their gods. In Central and South America, the habit of chewing coca leaves dates back to ancient times. The yaravíes, jugglers Incas appreciated the gift of coca to the children of the Sun: Manco Capac, legendary founder of the empire and OClO, sister and wife. The first European explorers carried news of this plant from the seventeenth century references are found on their properties in European medical texts.

Cocaine hydrochloride is a white powder extracted from the coca bush “Erythroxylon Coca”, contains the alkaloid cocaine and other similar derivative, was discovered in 1860 by Albert Niemann, German pharmaceutical company, you have isolated alkaloid cocaine which he calls. It was first used as a local anesthetic in some surgical procedures. However, when they discovered its addictive nature as an anesthetic was replaced by other drugs that did not create dependency. Today, cocaine is considered a narcotic. Habitual use causes a strong psychological dependence (James, 1985).

Coca paste

Also called sulfate cocaine paste or simply paste it is the result of macerating the leaves with sulfuric acid. It provides a basis for further development of cocaine hydrochloride.

Cocaine hydrochloride

It comes in white flaky crystals, more or less adulterated, is sniffed or injected intravenously (not smoking it is destroyed by heat). The sniffing is the most common way to use cocaine. Due to the intense vascularization of the mucosa of the nasopharynx is rapid absorption and its effects (talkativeness, feeling energy) lasting between 20 and 40 minutes. Repeated use of intranasal cocaine doses can induce chronic rhinitis (sneezing cocaine) and eventually to perforation of the nasal septum.

Cocaine base

This form of consumption is to inhale the fumes of the free base (free base), extracted from the hydrochloride with volatile solvents (ether) to very high temperature (800 º C) burner propane.

Crack

It is a form of cocaine base obtained by adding ammonia to an aqueous solution of cocaine hydrochloride in the presence of sodium bicarbonate to alkalize, is heated to 98 ° C. The free base precipitates look like small stones. Inhaled in heated containers or ground and mixed with snuff or other drugs. The crack spreads very rapidly from the lungs to the brain, its effects are immediate, intense and fleeting, its "down" is so unbearable that involves compulsive use and very common (Paul , 1999).

Cocaine; The characteristics

Freud discovered the anesthetic effect and experience in the ability to detoxify the morphine addict. Keller continues his experiments and accomplished using local anesthetic. Thereafter begin cacaino-manía cases, favored for its simple preparation. Cocaine stimulates the central nervous system in the downstream direction, i.e. top-down. Symptoms appear first belong to the cerebral cortex, restlessness and excitement, activation of mental and muscular work (by loss of ability to perceive ...