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Cocaine is a highly addictive and a naturally occurring anesthetic, or pain blocker.
It is extracted from the leaves of Erythroxylon coca (E. coca), also known asTrusted Source the coca scrub, a plant that grows in the Andean highlands of South America.
It is the most powerful stimulant of natural origin. When Coca-Cola was first produced, it contained 9 milligrams of cocaine per glass. In 1903, this ingredient was removed, but the drink still has coca flavoring.
In 1884Trusted Source, Karl Koller, an Austrian ophthalmologist, first used cocaine as an anesthetic during eye surgery. It was a popular and widely used anesthetic until the early 20th century.
As the medical profession came to realize that cocaine was addictive, safer anesthetics were developed. Cocaine, in its basic form, is no longer routinely used.
However, cocaine and its derivative, crack cocaine, are widely used as illegal recreational drugs.
Here are some key points about cocaine. More detail is in the main article.
- Cocaine can be smoked, injected, or snorted
- Crack is a type of cocaine
- Long-term cocaine use increases the risk of heart disease
- Cocaine can make changes to the structure of the brain
What is crack?
Crack is the street name for a type of cocaine that has had the hydrochloride removed, making it possible to smoke.
When the mixture is heated, it makes a crackling sound, hence the name. Crack producers make crack with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) or ammonia and water, and it is heated to remove the hydrochloride.
The crack smoker receives large doses of cocaine. The effect is intense and virtually immediate, as with injected cocaine, but the “high” lasts only around 5 minutes.