Cocaine

Ahmed Quraish
Pioneers Baccalaureate School
March 14, 2016

ABSTRACT
This research paper is going to talk about cocaine. This paper will
include other names that cocaine has. It will also include chemical
makeup and structure of the drug. It will include the purpose of
the drug. The side effects will also be included. This part will
include the biological analysis on its affect on the human body. It
will also include the history of the drug. The presence of the drug
in the world and Palestine will be included.

INTRODUCTION

Cocaine is derived from a plant called coca. Coca is native to the

high mountain ranges of South America. The coca leaves were
used by natives of this region and acted upon the user as a
stimulant. This made native laborers of the region the stamina to
perform their duties in the thin air at high altitudes. iCocaine was
first extracted from coca leaves in 1855 by Gaedecke who called
it Erythroxyline. Then Dr. Albert Nieman extracted and purified the
compound naming it cocaineii.

METHODS
1. Marshmallows of different colors.
2. Tooth picks.

DISCUSSION

Name of the Drug

Cocaine, other names this list was taken from

http://luxury.rehabs.com/cocaine-addiction/street-names-andnicknames/
Coke.
Flake.
Snow.
Blow.
White.
Toot.
Base.
Basa.
Powder.
Dust.
Big Rush.
Pearl.
Candy.
Cola.
C.

 Big flakes.
Nose candy.
Baseball.
Bump.
Line.
Rail.
Snow.
Stash.
Yeyo.iii

Chemical Makeup
C17H21NO4iv

Chemical Structure

Purpose of the Drug

4

Cocaine interferes with the chemical messengers -neurotransmitters -- that nerves use to communicate with each
other. Cocaine blocks norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and
other neurotransmitters from being reabsorbed. The resulting
chemical buildup between nerves causes euphoria or feeling
"high". Cocaine users often describe the euphoric feeling as an
increasing sense of energy and alertness and extremely elevated
mood and a feeling of supremacy.v
Side Effects of the drug
This list was taken from drugfreeworld.com Short-term effects:
Loss of appetite Increased heart rate, blood pressure, body
temperature Contracted blood vessels Increased rate of breathing
Dilated pupils Disturbed sleep patterns Nausea Hyper stimulation
Bizarre, erratic, sometimes violent behavior Hallucinations, hyper
excitability, irritability Tactile hallucination that creates the illusion
of bugs burrowing under the skin Intense euphoria Anxiety and
paranoia Depression Intense drug craving Panic and psychosis
Convulsions, seizures and sudden death from high doses (even
one time) Cocaine causes heart, kidney, brain and lung damage.
Long-term effects Permanent damage to blood vessels of heart
and brain High blood pressure, leading to heart attacks, strokes,
and death Liver, kidney and lung damage Destruction of tissues in
nose if sniffed Respiratory failure if smoked Infectious diseases
and abscesses if injected Malnutrition, weight loss Severe tooth
decay Auditory and tactile hallucinations Sexual problems,
reproductive damage and infertility (for both men and
women)Disorientation, apathy, confused exhaustion Irritability
and mood disturbances Increased frequency of risky behavior
Delirium or psychosisSevere depressionTolerance and addiction
(even after just one use).vi
Presence in the world including Palestine

Refered to as Israel

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my teacher Miss Meha and my school
Pioneers Baccalaureate School for providing a place for me to
write and work on my paper.
LITERATURE CITED

http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/cocaine-history.html

ii http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webprojects2001/straughan/3.htm
iii http://luxury.rehabs.com/cocaine-addiction/street-names-and-nicknames/
iv https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/cocaine#section=Top
v http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/cocaine-use-and-its-effects?page=2
vi http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/cocaine/effects-of-cocaine.html
vii https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_prevalence_of_cocaine_use