Chemists have reported the development of what is being called an exceptionally powerful substance for eliminating cocaine from the human body. This discovery creates a potential new drug for cocaine addiction and overdoses - an advance that could lead to the first effective treatment for overdoses and addictions of cocaine. The results and findings are published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication.

The next time you hear that cocaine is not addictive, or that "a liitle can't hurt you", remember-Cocaine Lies. Cocaine affects your brain. The word “cocaine” refers to the drug in both a powder (cocaine) and crystal (crack) form. It is made from the coca plant and causes a short-lived high that is immediately followed by opposite, intense feelings of depression, edginess, and a craving for more of the drug. Cocaine may be snorted as a powder, converted to a liquid form for injection with a needle, or processed into a crystal form to be smoked. Cocaine affects your body. People who use cocaine often don’t eat or sleep regularly. They can experience increased heart rate, muscle spasms, and convulsions. If they snort cocaine, they can also permanently damage their nasal tissue. Cocaine affects your emotions. Using cocaine can make you feel paranoid, angry, hostile, and anxious, even when you’re not high. Cocaine is addictive. Cocaine interferes with the way your brain processes chemicals that create feelings of pleasure, so you need more and more of the drug just to feel normal. People who become addicted to cocaine start to lose interest in other areas of their life, like school, friends, and sports. Cocaine can kill you. Cocaine use can cause heart attacks, seizures, strokes, and respiratory failure. People who share needles can also contract hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, or other diseases. Know the law. Cocaine–in any form–is illegal. Stay informed. Even first-time cocaine users can have seizures or fatal heart attacks. Know the risks. Combining cocaine with other drugs or alcohol is extremely dangerous. The effects of one drug can magnify the effects of another, and mixing substances can be deadly. Be aware. Cocaine is expensive. Regular users can spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars on cocaine each week. Stay in control. Cocaine impairs your judgment, which may lead to unwise decisions around sexual activity. This can increase your risk for HIV/AIDS, other diseases, rape, and unplanned pregnancy. Look around you. The vast majority of teens aren’t using cocaine. According to a 2002 study, less than 1 percent of teens are regular cocaine users. In fact, 97 percent of teens have never even tried cocaine.¹ How can you tell if a friend is using cocaine? Sometimes it’s tough to tell. But there are signs you can look for. If your friend has one or more of the following warning signs, he or she may be using cocaine or other illicit drugs:

• Red, bloodshot eyes
• A runny nose or frequent sniffing
• A change in groups of friends
• Acting withdrawn, depressed, tired, or careless about personal appearance
• Losing interest in school, family, or activities he or she used to enjoy
• Frequently needing money

______________ source:  http://ncadi.samhsa.gov

The geography of drug use. To paraphrase an old tune by Gerry Rafferty, we got meth to the left of us, cocaine to the right, and here we are, stuck in the middle with pot. The National Drug Threat Survey of 2007, a product of the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) at the Department of Justice, illustrates the stark nature of regional variation when it comes to illegal drugs of choice in the United States. The map at the right represents the responses of state and local law enforcement agencies to the question: "What drug poses the greatest threat to your area?" Blue indicates cocaine, red indicates methamphetamine, and green stands for marijuana. (Click map for larger image.) According to the Oregonian in Portland, reporting on similar numbers from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: "The politics of methamphetamine have been shaped by geography. Lawmakers from the East, Midwest and South focused on cocaine--the most heavily abused drug by far in their home states. By contrast, more than 90 percent of people treated for meth abuse live west of the Mississippi River." The NDIC's stated mission is "to provide strategic drug-related intelligence, document and computer exploitation support, and training assistance to the drug control, public health, law enforcement, and intelligence communities of the United States...." NDIC obtains its data through direct surveys of federal, state and local law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as well as information from court documents, news sources, and public health agencies. The NDIC has produced a National Drug Threat Survey annually since 2000, and began deriving state-level estimates in 2003. Federal, state and local government agencies use the statistical estimates as guidelines for promulgating drug legislation and enforcement strategies. Graphics Credit: National Drug Intelligence Center

No one beats cocaine abuse without cocaine rehab. No matter how tough you are, no matter how “in-control” you believe yourself to be…you can’t get better without help. Cocaine addiction is a disease, not a choice. No one ever decides to be a junkie. By the same token, no one can ever simply decide to get sober. On the contrary, cocaine recovery is and must be the product of professional cocaine treatment. Given the stakes, you can’t afford anything less than that. The good news is that there are plenty of cocaine rehab facilities in Los Angeles. The only catch is that they aren’t all equally capable of helping their clients.

Researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston are studying a number of medications that may help restore the fragile balance of chemicals or neurotransmitters in the brain destroyed by cocaine abuse, making recovery more possible.”With chronic cocaine use, there are changes in the brain that affect neurotransmitters that are responsible for impulsivity and decision making,” said F. Gerard Moeller, Ph.D. (Source: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs News From Medical News Today)

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