Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that is extracted from the leaves of the Erythroxylum coca plant, which is located primarily in the South American countries of Bolivia and Peru and is primarily trafficked to the United States through Colombia. Cocaine is highly addictive, and for this reason, it is a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act. There are some limited legal medical uses of powdered cocaine, which may only be used by a physician, usually to treat a patient who has a medical problem that is related to the eyes or the nose.

The powdered form of cocaine is a hydrochloride salt. It dissolves in water and can be injected intravenously. This form of cocaine can also be taken orally or inhaled (snorted). Drug dealers often dilute cocaine with other substances that resemble cocaine, such as talcum powder, cornstarch, or sugar. They may also dilute the drug with procaine (an anesthetic) or other stimulants, such as amphetamines. Some users of cocaine combine the drug with heroin.

In contrast to powdered cocaine, crack cocaine is a compound that has not been neutralized by an acid. In this form, the drug is freebased: processed with baking soda or ammonia and water and subsequently heated to remove the hydrochloride so that it can be smoked by the person abusing the drug.

Cocaine (whether powdered cocaine or crack cocaine) acts on dopamine, a brain chemical, by preventing the existing dopamine from being carried away and thus by causing a buildup of dopamine. It is believed that it is this buildup that causes the euphoria that is associated with cocaine abuse. In addition, cocaine prevents the reuptake of other neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and noradrenaline, and it causes the release of extra adrenalin by the adrenal glands.

Cocaine has been used by the Indians in Peru and Bolivia for about 1,200 years. They chew the coca leaves. Initially, the leaves were reserved for Incan priests, who used them in religious ceremonies, and they were also given as rewards. When Pizarro conquered the Inca in 1533, the Indians chewed coca leaves to stave off hunger and fatigue.

A Corsican, Angel Mariani, imported massive quantities of cocaine in the mid-1800s, mixing it with wine and selling his concoction as Vin Mariani. It was an extremely popular drink in both Europe and the United States, and Mariani received a gold medal achievement award in 1860 from Pope Leo XII for creating his invigorating drink.

According to Steven Karch in his 1999 article in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, two glasses of Vin Mariani contained less than 59 mg of cocaine, which is roughly equal to one "line" of cocaine that is snorted today by cocaine abusers. However, when a better method to transport coca leaves from South America was developed, there were many competitors and Karch says that problems with toxicity and some deaths occurred as many producers included large amounts of cocaine in their products. Says Karch, "Vin Mariani may have contained only 6 mg cocaine per ounce, but competitors' products contained hundreds of milligrams per ounce."

An Atlanta, Georgia, pharmacist, John Pemberton, later developed his cocaine-containing drink Coca Cola in 1885, selling the first drink at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta in 1886, according to the Library of Congress. Pemberton, a morphine addict who had serious financial and medical problems, sold his formula and his wife died impoverished. In 1905, the cocaine was completely removed from the soft drink.

Karl Koller, an Austrian ophthalmologist and friend of Sigmund Freud, discovered that cocaine could be isolated and used as a local anesthetic in 1884, and it was used in this manner for individuals having surgery of the eyes and nose. (This use continues in the 21st century, although many doctors rely on other anesthetics.) Cocaine was popular among physicians in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, because they were seeking an effective anesthetic.

Dr. Freud wrote a monograph on the beneficial effects of cocaine as a miracle drug in 1884. He used the drug to treat opium addiction, although later he realized cocaine itself was addicting.

President Taft proclaimed cocaine to be "Public Enemy Number One" in 1913 and in 1914, the Harrison Act was passed, which banned the nonmedical use of cocaine. Its usage declined. Prior to that time, cocaine was readily available in numerous elixirs, tobacco products, liquors, and wines and no prescription was required. According to Shanti and Lucas in their article on cocaine in Critical Care Medicine, "Cocaine was promoted for the treatment of opiate and alcohol addiction, runny nose, sore throat, headaches, fatigue, hay fever, high blood pressure, nervous disorders, and even tuberculosis."

Because cocaine abuse began to rise again in the 1960s, cocaine was classified as a Schedule II drug by Congress in 1970 and it could be used by a physician only for medical purposes. This restriction still applies.

References:

1)         Karch, Steven B., M.D. "Cocaine: History, Use, Abuse." Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 92 (August 1999): 393-397.

2)         Spillane, Joseph F. Cocaine: From Medical Marvel to Modern Menace in the United States, 1884-1920. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000.

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on Drugs and Drug Abuse at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to Drugs and Drug Abuse and other relevant topics.