There are a number of important facts about cocaine that everyone should know, and these may cover abuse, dependency, and addiction as well. They include:
- Over time chronic cocaine use can cause areas of dead cells or holes in the brain tissue. When the use is stopped these holes will eventually close up, but if the drug is started again then these areas will come back just as large as before, even though the use may not be as chronic as before.
- The short high which lasts a half an hour or less is then replaced with depression or a feeling of coming down. Anxiety may also occur at this point as the user worries about how to get more of the substance.
- In the past cocaine was considered harmless and it was even used in commercial products, including Coca Cola. Once the addiction potential was discovered the US government outlawed the use of the drug and it was removed from all of the commercial products where it had previously been included.
- A dependency or even addiction to cocaine can develop very quickly, and may occur after only using the drug a few times.
- Cocaine causes heart damage, especially when used for long periods. Since the drug speeds up the physical processes in the body this makes the heart muscle work harder, and can even cause enlargement with repeated use. Individuals who use this drug are much more likely to die of a heart attack or suffer from medical problems with the heart muscles and tissues brought on by the cocaine use.
