Cocaine is used medically as a local anesthetic. When abused, Cocaine becomes a powerful physical and mental stimulant. The entire nervous system is energized. Muscles tense, the heart beats faster and stronger, and the body burns more energy. The brain experiences an exhilaration caused by a large release of neurohormones associated with mood elevation.

Cocaine Health Effects

Regular Cocaine use may upset the chemical balance of the brain. As a result, it may speed up the aging process by causing damage to critical nerve cells.

Parkinson's Disease could also occur.

Cocaine causes the heart to beat faster, harder, and rapidly increases blood pressure. Cocaine also causes spasms of blood vessels in the brain and heart. Both lead to ruptured vessels causing strokes and heart attacks.

Strong dependency can occur with one "hit" of Cocaine. Usually mental dependency occurs within days for "crack" or within several months for snorting coke. Cocaine causes the strongest mental dependency of all the drugs.

Cocaine treatment success rates are lower than other chemical dependencies.

Extremely dangerous when taken with other depressant drugs. Death due to overdose is rapid.

Fatal effects are usually not reversible by medical intervention.

Cocaine Workplace Issues

Extreme mood and energy swings create instability. Sudden noise causes a violent reaction.

Lapses in attention and ignoring warning signals increases probability of accidents.

High Cocaine cost frequently leads to theft and/or dealing.

Paranoia and withdrawal may create unpredictable or violent behavior.

Performance is characterized by forgetfulness, absenteeism, tardiness and missing assignments.

Opiates: Narcotic drugs that alleviate pain and depress body functions and reactions.

Opiates Health Effects

Intravenous Opiates users have a high risk of contracting hepatitis or AIDS when sharing needles.

Increased pain tolerance. As a result, a person may more severely injure themselves and fail to seek medical attention as needed.

Opiates Narcotic effects are multiplied when combined with other depressants causing an increased risk for an overdose.

Because of tolerance, there is an ever increasing need for more. Strong mental and physical dependency occurs.

With increased tolerance and dependency combined, there is a serious financial burden for the Opiates user.

Opiates Workplace Issues

Side effect such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, mental clouding and drowsiness place the Opiates user at high risk for an accident.

Causes impairment of physical and mental functions.

Since the drug alleviates the sensation of fatigue, it may be abused to increase alertness during periods of overtime or failure to get rest.

With heavy use or increasing fatigue, the short-term mental or physical enhancement reverses and becomes an impairment.

Methamphetamine: short-term mental or physical enhancement?