Cocaine

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Cocaine

• Andrew Carlos Cory Wall

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How Does Cocaine Work?

• Cocaine modifies the action of the dopamine rich
  areas of the brain collectively known as the
  brains reward pathway. Cocaine binds to
  dopamine re-uptake transporters on the
  pre-synaptic membranes of dopaminergic neurons'.
  This binding inhibits the removal of dopamine
  from the synaptic cleft. Dopamine remains in the
  synaptic cleft and is free to bind to its
  receptors on the post synaptic membrane,
  producing further nerve impulses. This increased
  activation of the dopaminergic reward pathway
  leads to the feelings of euphoria and the high
  associated with cocaine use.

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Judicial Penalties Involved With Cocaine Use

• Under current federal law, someone caught with
  five grams of crack cocaine gets a certain
  five-year sentence -- while someone would have to
  be in possession of 500 grams of the white,
  powdered cocaine to trigger the same mandatory
  prison time
• The average crack cocaine sentence, 120 months,
  is greater than the 103-month average sentence
  for robbery the 76-month average sentence for
  arson the 64-month average sentence for sexual
  abuse and the 31-month average sentence for
  manslaughter. United States Sentencing
  Commission, 1999 Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing
  Statistics.
• The average sentence for crack cocaine (ten
  years) is thirty-five percent longer than the
  average methamphetamine sentence and fifty-two
  percent longer than the average powder cocaine
  sentence.

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A few Facts

• The annual number of new cocaine users has
  generally increased over time. In 1975, there
  were 30,000 new users. The number increased from
  300,000 in 1986 to 361,000 in 2000.
• The average age of cocaine initiates rose from
  17.2 years in 1967 to 23.8 years in 1991 and
  subsequently declined to approximately 20 years
  from 1997 to 2000.

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• Street names blow, coke, cola, freeze, snow
  (powder), base, rock (crack), blizzard, sleet,
  white lady, nose candy, soda, snow cone, blanco,
  cubes.

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What does a crackhead look like?

• Photos directly above
• taken over an 8 year crack addiction