YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS: COCAINE

You may be surprised to hear that in its original recipe, the trademark Coca-Cola company used to use Coca Leaves as one of the main ingredients. In fact, the word Coca in the drink itself comes from the Coca leaves used. It wasn't until 1903, that it was removed from the beverage.

Coca is the plant (indigenous to South America) from which Cocaine is obtained. It's a strong stimulant and produces short-time euphoria and energy and is the second most popular drug globally. The worldwide sales of cocaine earn more than Microsoft, Mcdonald's and Kellogg's combined.

Benzoylmethylecgonine or Cocaine

Cocaine comes in two main forms- Powder (which can be inhaled or dissolved in water and then injected into the bloodstream) and Crystalline (which is smoked, also known as crack). The high from inhaling cocaine may last up to 30 minutes, and from smoking it can be up to 12 minutes. In order to sustain the high, the users take the drug repeatedly in a higher dose within a short period of time, which leads to addiction.

So, how does cocaine actually affect our brain?

Cocaine acts simply by inhibiting the reuptake of dopamine in the brain. 

Dopamine is essentially a neurotransmitter in the brain, released by the neurons to send messages to other neurons. It is majorly secreted from Substantia Nigra and Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA). There are several distinct Dopamine pathways present in the Brain, one of which is Reward-Motivation Pathway (Mesolimbic mesocortical pathway). Many pleasurable experiences cause secretion of Dopamine which results in a positive feedback. Direct electro-stimulation of Dopaminergic neurons by using electrodes implanted in the brain is also experienced as pleasurable.

Normally, the Dopamine secreted from the Presynaptic neuron is removed from the synaptic cleft by Dopamine transporters and then is degraded to Homovanillic Acid by Monoamine oxidase (MAO) and Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT). But in the case of cocaine abuse, the cocaine binds to the transporters and prevents the reuptake into the presynaptic neuron. So, more Dopamine is available in the cleft and it binds to the Dopamine receptors present in the Postsynaptic neuron over and over again, giving an amplified signal. This amplified signal causes the feeling of euphoria in the user.

When taken, Cocaine can cause hallucinations, irritability, nausea, erratic behavior, it dilates the pupil, increases the heart rate, blood pressure as well as the body temperature. Users can also suffer from stroke and heart attacks, which can be fatal. Depression and anxiety surround the person once the effect of the drug wears off.

By the time, you will finish reading this blog approximately 15 Americans will try cocaine for the very first time. More than one lakh babies are born addicted to cocaine per year in the US due to their mother's use of the drug during pregnancy. It's time we start saying no to drugs and choose to live a happy and healthy life.

"It's really not that difficult to overcome these seemingly ghastly problems...what's hard is to decide" - Robert Downey Jr.