Cocaine is a very strong stimulant drug affecting the nervous system.
Cocaine is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant found in South America
and comes in the form of a white powder. In this form, cocaine can be snorted up
the nose, tasted on the gums, or dissolved and injected.
Cocaine users feel – for about half an hour – a sense of well-being,
confidence and alertness, and they are left with a craving for more, as well as
a feeling of indifference. Users also experience dilated pupils, a rise in body
temperature, and increased heart rate and blood pressure, as well as the
depression and tiredness of the comedown.
Effects of prolonged use include abnormalities in specific regions of the
brain, loss of some mental capacity, problems with movement, decreased reaction
times.
