Cocaine Throughout HistoryFor over thousands of years cocaine has been used in many different forms for a variety of different things.
-Native South Americans chewed coca plants (what cocaine is made from) because they believed it protected them against illness; gave them strength and endurance; and alleviated hunger pain. -A mixture of these leaves, along with salvia (which has a hallucinogenic effects) were commonly used in combination among the ancient Egyptians. During their rituals of demonic release, they would "medicate" the individual that was thought to be possessed, and perform trephination to rid them of their demons. -Before cocaine was illegalized in the early 1900s, it was most often used as an over the counter painkiller as doctors recognized its healing properties. They noted that it controlled swelling, strengthened broken bones, could rid the body of feeling cold, and cure wounds or sores that had rotten to the point that they were covered in maggots. -After the prohibition, people still attempted to use cocaine by adding it to wines and other alcoholic beverages to cancel out the depressing qualities and therefore keep the ability to drink all night. -Late 1800’s William Halsted was the first American physician to use cocaine as an anesthetic for surgery. After being exposed to the drug for so many years, Halsted became tempted to try the drug recreationally and undoubtedly became the first recorded cocaine addict who practiced medicine. -Usage of cocaine for anesthetic purposes soon stopped when people began to realise its negative consequences. Safer drugs were then developed. -Cocaine was typically used by upper class individuals until the 1980’s when crack-cocaine was introduced. As this version of the drug was so inexpensive, it quickly became available to anyone. -These days, cocaine in all its forms is so easily accessible and cut with so many dangerous chemicals that its effects and possibility of addiction are much higher than ever recorded in history. As of 2005, 33.7 million Americans 12 and older have admitted to using cocaine at least once in their life and 7.9 million reported using crack-cocaine. |
Celebrities with Cocaine AddictionsSigmund Freud
Freud, who is a very popular psychoanalyst, was a huge advocate for the use of cocaine. He used it as an anesthetic, an analgesic, an antidepressant, a treatment for alcoholism and morphine addiction, and at times when he felt it would aid his patient’s in "tapping in" to seldom used parts of their brain. Freud was known for using his children in his studies and unsurprisingly he used cocaine on them for several experiments. Prior to giving the drug to any of his patients however, Freud experimented with cocaine on his own to experience its effects first hand. Tim Allen Allen reached the peak in his acting career in the ‘90s while appearing in several movies and starring in his own sitcom "Tool Time". Though before his fame, Tim was a frequent user of cocaine that in fact landed him in prison for use and possession of the drug in the late ‘70s. Robin Williams Before Williams’ career took off he was a long time cocaine addict along with his friend Jim Belushi. Thankfully Williams’ turned his life around unlike Belushi who regrettably died by overdose of a speedball (mixture of heroin and cocaine). Adolf Hitler It is rumored that Hitler had a serious cocaine addiction before and during his rise of power. His route of choice was the injection of a liquid form of cocaine that was administered to him daily by his own personal physician. Whitney Houston It’s no surprise to anyone, I am sure, that Whitney Houston made our list. Houston has had her bouts with a variety of different drug addictions, cocaine being one of them, that have led her in and out of rehab through the vast majority of her life. She has suffered serious adverse effects of the drugs including psychosis, delusions and hallucinations. Before her death, her sister-in-law admitted during an interview, that Houston had been so affected by the drugs that she has been known to punch and bite herself on several occasions claiming that the devil was attacking her. Drew Barrymore As a product of bad parenting, Barrymore had been drinking and smoking cigarettes since the age of 9 years old. She started experiment with drugs such as marijuana by the age of 10 and by 12 began snorting Cocaine. Drew has worked hard to put her past behind her but still battles with her previous addiction every day. Chris Farley Farley was an eccentric actor in the early 90's and was known for his huge personality and sweat constantly pouring down his face. Chris died when his career was at his peak by a cocaine and morphine combination overdose. |
Did You Know??
-Due to the effects of cocaine on dopamine metabolism in the brain, persistent users may no longer feel any pleasure at all from things they used to love without the use of the drug.
-Compared to women, men tend to feel the effects of cocaine faster and report more episodes of euphoria and dysphoria associated with the drug.
-When combining the drugs cocaine and alcohol, the body converts them into a substance called cocaethylene. This toxic result causes a longer duration of drugs effects in the brain and is the leading cause of more deaths than any other drug combination known.
-It is possible for someone to become dependent on cocaine after using it only once.
-Because smoking cocaine has quicker and more extreme effects, it is likely that an individual will no longer desire to snort the drug once experiencing the latter. Smoking cocaine is also more addictive and deadly. This is expected to be caused by the fact that as the high does not
last as long as snorting it, users often use the drug again before they have processed the first ‘hit’. This high concentration of the coke within the body can lead to stroke, respiratory failure, or heart failure.
-Cocaine is the second most commonly used illegal drug in the United States, closely trailing marijuana.
-Before 1903, the famous Coca-Cola drink actually contained 9 mg of cocaine per serving. In addition to caffeine, these two substances undoubtedly created the drink powerful stimulating effects. Although not longer in the ingredients of the drink today, the coca leaf is
still used to give the drinks its unique flavor.
-The average price of pure cocaine in the U.S. and Canada today is between $80 and $100. The cheaper inhalable version "crack" is much more affordable at $10 to $25 per rock.
-Last year, over 45, 000 kilos of cocaine were seized in Canada from drugs arrest alone. The street value of this much cocaine was estimated to be approximately $1.2 billion.
-An average of 400, 000 cocaine-addicted babies are born to the U.S. every year.
-A study done in 2008 revealed that there are trace amounts of cocaine found on 4 out of 5 dollar bills in circulation in the U.S. and Canada. Researchers think that other than the fact that people use rolled up bills for straws to snort their drugs, cocaine is also easily spread around due to its fine texture.
-Compared to women, men tend to feel the effects of cocaine faster and report more episodes of euphoria and dysphoria associated with the drug.
-When combining the drugs cocaine and alcohol, the body converts them into a substance called cocaethylene. This toxic result causes a longer duration of drugs effects in the brain and is the leading cause of more deaths than any other drug combination known.
-It is possible for someone to become dependent on cocaine after using it only once.
-Because smoking cocaine has quicker and more extreme effects, it is likely that an individual will no longer desire to snort the drug once experiencing the latter. Smoking cocaine is also more addictive and deadly. This is expected to be caused by the fact that as the high does not
last as long as snorting it, users often use the drug again before they have processed the first ‘hit’. This high concentration of the coke within the body can lead to stroke, respiratory failure, or heart failure.
-Cocaine is the second most commonly used illegal drug in the United States, closely trailing marijuana.
-Before 1903, the famous Coca-Cola drink actually contained 9 mg of cocaine per serving. In addition to caffeine, these two substances undoubtedly created the drink powerful stimulating effects. Although not longer in the ingredients of the drink today, the coca leaf is
still used to give the drinks its unique flavor.
-The average price of pure cocaine in the U.S. and Canada today is between $80 and $100. The cheaper inhalable version "crack" is much more affordable at $10 to $25 per rock.
-Last year, over 45, 000 kilos of cocaine were seized in Canada from drugs arrest alone. The street value of this much cocaine was estimated to be approximately $1.2 billion.
-An average of 400, 000 cocaine-addicted babies are born to the U.S. every year.
-A study done in 2008 revealed that there are trace amounts of cocaine found on 4 out of 5 dollar bills in circulation in the U.S. and Canada. Researchers think that other than the fact that people use rolled up bills for straws to snort their drugs, cocaine is also easily spread around due to its fine texture.
This page was last updated November 19, 2012.