Cocaine Decline

History: Cocaine is the oldest and most dangerous drug. In ancient times they would chew on coca leaves to get their hearts racing and speed up their breathing. In the 1880s it became popularized and used in the medical field. They used it as a cure to depression and sexual impotence. They eventually began to put cocaine in the coca-cola soda for energy boost. This had terrible side effects and the company was forced to remove this from the drink.

“By 1905, it had become popular to snort cocaine and within five years, hospitals and medical literature had started reporting cases of nasal damage resulting from the use of this drug”(DFW).

“In 1912, the United States government reported 5,000 cocaine-related deaths in one year and by 1922, the

Executive Office of U.S. President states, “Overall, 6.26 percent of residents of Texas use illicit drugs, which is below the national average of 8.02 percent”(AAC Facility). This statistic shows how much the decline in the usage of Cocaine has decreased in the state of Texas. When compared to the usage in the United States of America as a whole Cocaine has remained stable since 2009. Data from 2011 showed 505,224 nearly 1.3 million emergency room visits were cocaine related. “In 2014, there were an estimated 1.5 million current (past-month) cocaine users aged 12 or older (0.6 percent of the population). Adults aged 18 to 25 years have a higher rate of current cocaine use than any other age group, with 1.4 percent of young adults reporting past-month cocaine

The long term effects are far more life threatening. The need for the drug increases the more you consume it, resulting in addiction. Cocaine affects the way the brain processes chemicals eventually losing sight of reality, they become psychotic and delusional.

Negative Impact: There are many cons when it comes to cocaine, especially if the person is a heavy user. Behavioral Health System states, “As cocaine travels through the blood as well as the brain, the abuse of cocaine causes effects upon the whole body. Cocaine is responsible for more U.S. emergency room visits than any other illegal drug. Cocaine abuse damages the brain, heart, blood vessels, and lungs – occasionally leading to sudden death.” Cocaine has no pros, snorting and injecting Cocaine into your body will cause eventual death if you’re a frequent user.

Conclusion: Cocaine is a dangerous drug that is bound to result in death from the use of it. Although studies have shown a decrease in the usage of Cocaine many people today still go to the emergency room, are addicted, and die from this drug. Possession of the drug could get you life in prison as well as the intent to distribute, all depending on the amount that is being