basic facts.
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant with short-lived effects lasting only around 10-30 minutes. Both freebase cocaine and crack cocaine can be smoked meaning they reach the brain very quickly, whereas snorted powder cocaine gets to the brain more slowly. Snorted powder cocaine is also less addictive than freebase and crack.
effects.
Makes you feel on top of the world, confident, alert and awake. It increased heart rate, reduces appetite and raises body temperature. When the effects wear off, there is a long 'comedown' of feeling depressed and run down.
risks.
High doses of cocaine can cause convulsions, heart attacks and heart failure. The risk of overdosing is increased when cocaine is mixed with alcohol or other drugs.
Over time, snorting cocaine will damage the cartilage in your nose that separates the nostrils and could coause it to disintergrate completely leaving you with only one big nostril.
Highly risky for anyone with high blood pressure or a heart condition.
The comedown part of taking cocaine can lead to serious problems with anxiety, paranoia and panic attacks.
If you are at risk of mental illnesses, cocaine can bring this to the surface.
Can cause miscarriages, premature labour and low birth weight.
Regularly smoking crack can cause breathing problems and pain sin the chest.
Addiction to cocaine is high so could be a very expensive habit.
Injecting cocaine can damage veins and cause ulcers and gangrene.
Heavy users may take heroin to dull their cravings so may get hooked on heroin as well - 'speedballing' (injecting a mixture of cocaine and heroin) can have disastrous consequences.
Drinking alcohol with cocaine is particularly dangerous; the chemicals mix together in the body and produce a toxic chemical called cocaethylene.
Over time, snorting cocaine will damage the cartilage in your nose that separates the nostrils and could coause it to disintergrate completely leaving you with only one big nostril.
Highly risky for anyone with high blood pressure or a heart condition.
The comedown part of taking cocaine can lead to serious problems with anxiety, paranoia and panic attacks.
If you are at risk of mental illnesses, cocaine can bring this to the surface.
Can cause miscarriages, premature labour and low birth weight.
Regularly smoking crack can cause breathing problems and pain sin the chest.
Addiction to cocaine is high so could be a very expensive habit.
Injecting cocaine can damage veins and cause ulcers and gangrene.
Heavy users may take heroin to dull their cravings so may get hooked on heroin as well - 'speedballing' (injecting a mixture of cocaine and heroin) can have disastrous consequences.
Drinking alcohol with cocaine is particularly dangerous; the chemicals mix together in the body and produce a toxic chemical called cocaethylene.
the law.
Argentina
information not available.
Australia
Sale and possession are both illegal.Possession can result in a fine of up to $3,000 and/or one year imprisonment. Sale can result in a fine of up to $250,000 and/or a prison sentence of up to 25 years. Enforcement varies from state to state.
Canada
Sale and possession are both illegal. Possession can result in a fine of up to #1000 and/or a prison sentence of 7 years. Sale can result in life imprisonment.
China
information not available.
Hungary
information not available.
India
information not available.
Iran
information not available.
Ireland
Possession of a small quantity can result in up to 6 months imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Sale can result in life in prison and/or an unlimited fine.
Israel
information not available.
Jamaica
Sale and possession are both illegal.
Japan
Both sale and possession are illegal. Possession of small amount may result in up to 10 year imprisonment and/or a fine of 5,000,000 yen. It can even result in deportation, after which you are not permitted to return for 5-10 years.
Nepal
Both sale and possession are illegal.
Netherlands
Possession can result in up to 4 years imprisonment and/or a fine of 100,000. Sale can result in up to 8 years and/or a fine of 100,000.
New Zealand
Sale and possession are both illegal. Class A drug. Sale can result in life imprisonment, Possession can result in up to 6 months in jail and/or a $1000 fine.
North Korea
information not available.
South Africa
information not available.
Serbia
Both sale and possession are illegal. Selling can result in up to 12 years in prison. Possession of a small amount can be remitted or sentenced for up to 3 years.
Spain
information not available.
Thailand
Sale and possession are both illegal and it is classed as a Category II narcotic. Both possession and sale are punishable by prison or death as judged by the Thai courts.
United Kingdom
Sale and possession are both illegal. Class A drug. Maximum penalty for possession is 7 years in prison and/or a fine. Possession with intent to supply may result in life imprisonment and/or a fine.
United States
Schedule II narcotic. Possession results in a 5 year sentence.
Uruguayinformation not available.
Venezuela
information not available.
information not available.
Australia
Sale and possession are both illegal.Possession can result in a fine of up to $3,000 and/or one year imprisonment. Sale can result in a fine of up to $250,000 and/or a prison sentence of up to 25 years. Enforcement varies from state to state.
Canada
Sale and possession are both illegal. Possession can result in a fine of up to #1000 and/or a prison sentence of 7 years. Sale can result in life imprisonment.
China
information not available.
Hungary
information not available.
India
information not available.
Iran
information not available.
Ireland
Possession of a small quantity can result in up to 6 months imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Sale can result in life in prison and/or an unlimited fine.
Israel
information not available.
Jamaica
Sale and possession are both illegal.
Japan
Both sale and possession are illegal. Possession of small amount may result in up to 10 year imprisonment and/or a fine of 5,000,000 yen. It can even result in deportation, after which you are not permitted to return for 5-10 years.
Nepal
Both sale and possession are illegal.
Netherlands
Possession can result in up to 4 years imprisonment and/or a fine of 100,000. Sale can result in up to 8 years and/or a fine of 100,000.
New Zealand
Sale and possession are both illegal. Class A drug. Sale can result in life imprisonment, Possession can result in up to 6 months in jail and/or a $1000 fine.
North Korea
information not available.
South Africa
information not available.
Serbia
Both sale and possession are illegal. Selling can result in up to 12 years in prison. Possession of a small amount can be remitted or sentenced for up to 3 years.
Spain
information not available.
Thailand
Sale and possession are both illegal and it is classed as a Category II narcotic. Both possession and sale are punishable by prison or death as judged by the Thai courts.
United Kingdom
Sale and possession are both illegal. Class A drug. Maximum penalty for possession is 7 years in prison and/or a fine. Possession with intent to supply may result in life imprisonment and/or a fine.
United States
Schedule II narcotic. Possession results in a 5 year sentence.
Uruguayinformation not available.
Venezuela
information not available.
medical uses.
Proposed medical useLocal anesthetic/wound treatment
|
Proposed benefitsCocaine numbs the area fairly quickly, in around 2/3 minutes. It is also a potent vasoconstrictor, meaning it narrows blood vessels, causing any bleeding to be reduced.
|
Morphine addiction
|
Because it has a short effect time and can be taken in very small doses and still have an effect, Freud proposed that cocaine could be used for morphine addiction to ween people off without harming them too badly.
|
Fatigue
|
Cocaine is a stimulant and it takes only a small amount to make you feel completely awake. It's proposed as an alternative to caffeine for those who cannot digest caffeine very efficiently.
|
Nervousness and anxiety
|
Cocaine's confidence-building effect means that a person would not longer feel anxious or nervous but would feel confident and ambitious.
|
professional views.
For"I am trying to revive interest in the therapeutic uses of coca, which I have been neglected because of the medical profession's fascination and subsequent disillusionment with the pure alkaloid cocaine" - Andrew Weil, American Physician
"If these claims are substantiated...[cocaine] will indeed be the most important therapeutic discovery of the age, the benefit of which to humanity will be incalculable" - Parke-Davis Company
|
AGainst |