Cocaine: what you need to know
Cocaine, derived from the leaves of the cocoa plant, is a potent central nervous system stimulant as well as a local anesthetic.
EFFECTS
Some of the psychological effects induced by cocaine are euphoria, confidence and a sense of increased energy. In someone who’s taken a large dose, expect to see severe anxiety and violent behaviour.
INDICATORS
Rapid heart rate, dilation of the pupils, fever, tremors, and sweating.
RISKS
Continued ingestion of cocaine could induce tolerances and physiological dependency, which leads to its abuse. Large uncontrolled doses can cause everything from seizures to heart attack and kidney failure.
DETECTION
Cocaine is used by smoking, intravenous or oral administration and excreted in the urine primarily as benzoylecgonine in a short period. Benzoylecgonine has a biological half-life of 5-8 hours, which is much longer than that of cocaine (0.5-1.5 hours) and can be generally detected for 12-72 hours after cocaine use or exposure.
