Difference of Penalties between Powder Cocaine and Crack Cocaine

Introduction

Drug trends have been a huge part of the American society. Manipulations of drugs have been traced back as far as 4000 B.C. American society has become familiar with drugs since the 1700s. These drugs were mainly used for medical and therapeutic purposes however without any knowledge of their addictive characteristics. Trends of these drugs have drastically changed throughout the years as a result of influences it has on the American society.

Drug addiction and alcoholism is wide spread among adults and teenagers in today's society. The percentage of adults affected by these addictions has always been high; however the percentage of teenagers affected by drug and alcohol addictions is growing astronomically. Cocaine has become the drug of choice for adults and teenagers, next to alcohol and prescription drugs. It is the quickest high that can be achieved but one of the deadliest. Cocaine addiction affects not only those getting high but their loved ones and friends. If there was more emphasis on cocaine addiction education for the loved ones and friends of those affected, there would be decreased incidents of relapse and overdoses. My research and personal experiences with cocaine addiction will enable me to provide general information on cocaine, cocaine addiction, and how relationships are affected.

Discussion

What Is Cocaine?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that directly affects the brain. Extracted from the leaf of the Erythroxylon coca bush, it was used in tonics/elixirs to treat a variety of illnesses during the 1900's.” (NIDA, 2008) Cocaine is used in two chemical forms which are powdered and freebase. The powdered form known as hydrochloride salt is snorted up the nose and known on the street as “coke,” “blow,” “snow,” “flake,” and “C.” It is also injected into the vein when mixed with water. The freebase form can be smoked.

Even though many drugs have legitimate purposes such as medicinal purposes, these same drugs can create life threatening problems when abused. Stimulants increase the heart rate and blood pressure and can be the cause of insomnia. When an abuser stops using stimulants, withdrawal symptoms can include depression and irritability. Depressants create a feeling of disorientation in the user, along with dizziness or drowsiness. Depressants can become deadly when mixed with alcohol. Withdrawal from depressants can create convulsions, anxiety, and insomnia and can lead to death. Narcotics are used for sedation and when abused can damage the respiratory and cardiovascular systems (Carroll, 2000).

Illegal use of drugs has had a strong hold on our society for centuries and it is far from decreasing. While some drug trends come and go, drugs will always be around one way or another. American society has been working hard to control the abuse of illegal and legal substances by supporting drug addiction programs for addicts and drug abuse prevention however it's difficult to determine the future of how well our society will manage this current toxic trend in our culture.

Affects of Cocaine

The affects ...