As early as 300 BC the Incas chewed the leaves of the Coca plant, and held the goddess "Mama Coca" in high regard

• The drug could be used as an analgesic (True)
• The drug could be used to wean people from morphine addiction and depression (False)
• Freud gave cocaine to Ernst von-Fleischl, who displayed strange behavior when taking large doses of cocaine, including paranoia and Formication Syndrome (or severe itching and the hallucinatory sensation that something is crawling on your skin)

Cocaine was an ingredient in medications, Coca-Cola, and Mariani Wine

• Cocaine use for non-medical purposes became illegal with the passage of the 1914 Harrison Narcotic Act (most states had already regulated its use by that time)
• Cocaine grew out of favor with the passage of the Harrison Act (which served to increase its price) and the development of cheaper amphetamines in the 1930's

• Cocaine Powder
• Cocaine Paste
• Cocaine Hydrochloride
• Crack

• Cocaine blocks the reuptake of dopamine and serotonin.
• Absorption is slow when the leaves are chewed, faster when snorted, even faster with IV, but most potent when smoked
• Cocaine is short acting, rapidly metabolized by the liver, & has a half life of @ 1 hour Metabolites can be detected in the blood for @ 8 - 12 hours
• Cocaine can be toxic in large doses
• Can be deadly when combined with alcohol, because it produces a new drug called cocaethylene, which is more toxic than cocaine and has a longer half-life
• Can also cause kinding with repeated use, which lowers the brain's threshold for seizures

• Was once thought to be only psychological addictive, since no immediate symptoms of withdrawal were observed when the drug was removed
• Withdrawal occurs over an extended period and does not look like ETOH or heroin withdrawal
• Generally causes depression, sleep disturbance, increase appetite, anxiety, and intense cravings for more drugs

• First used by the Chinese, who used herbs to produce ephedrine
• Scientists developed a chemical which was similar in structure in the 1920s, and amphetamine was patented in 1932
• Methamphetamine was used by both sides in WWII to produce confidence and energy in the fighting force. Truck drivers would use it to stay awake on long hauls
• Used in the '30's to treat asthma and narcolepsy
• The drug was readily available by prescription in the 1960's (to treat weight loss and fatigue)
• Tighter restrictions were placed on the use of amphetamine in the '70's (making cocaine more popular)

• Crank
• Ice
• Prescription forms

• Speed affects the catecholamines dopamine and norepinephrine
• The drugs also have a moderate effect of blocking re-uptake, furthering the action of the catecholamines
• When taken orally, the peak effects are experienced within about 2 hours. Half life is about 12 hours. IV produces much more rapid, almost immediate effects

• High doses can create paranoia and aggression
• These effects are increased if the stimulant is taken with alcohol
• Chronic use can cause lasting paranoia, sleep and dream disturbance (which may persist for weeks or months)

• Chronic use can cause dependence
• Withdrawal symptoms can be observed, characterized by a "crash" and several days of severe depression
• Addictive potential is greater with IV administration of large doses