Cocaine Abuse and Addiction
Cocaine abuse and addiction affects everyone of all ages, genders and socio-cultural backgrounds.
Warning Signs of Cocaine Abuse
Cocaine abuse or other drug and alcohol problems can affect every one of us regardless of age, sex, race, marital status, place of residence, income level, or lifestyle. Most people won't walk up to someone they're close to and ask for help. In fact, most will probably do everything possible to deny or hide the problem. What are the warning signs of cocaine abuse?
Cocaine Facts
There are two forms of cocaine: the hydrochloride salt and the "freebase." The hydrochloride salt, or powdered form of cocaine, dissolves in water and, when abused, can be taken intravenously (by vein) or intranasally (in the nose). Freebase refers to a compound that has not been neutralized by an acid to make the hydrochloride salt. The freebase form of cocaine is smokable.
Cocaine Side Effects
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. Once having tried cocaine, an individual may have difficulty predicting or controlling the extent to which he or she will continue to use. Cocaine's side effects appear almost immediately after a single dose, and disappear within a few minutes or hours.
Medical Complications of Cocaine Use
There are enormous medical complications associated with cocaine use. Some of the most frequent complications are cardiovascular disease. Cocaine abusers, especially those who inject, are at increased risk for contracting such infectious diseases as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS) and viral hepatitis. The full extent of the effects of prenatal drug exposure on a child is not completely known.
Cocaine Use in the U.S.
In 2004, 34.2 million Americans aged 12 and over reported lifetime use of cocaine, and 7.8 million reported using crack. About 5.6 million reported annual use of cocaine, and 1.3 million reported using crack. An estimated 2 million Americans reported current use of cocaine, 467,000 of whom reported using crack. There were an estimated 1 million new users of cocaine in 2004 (approximately 2,700 per day), and most were aged 18 or older although the average age of first use was 20.0 years.