Drug: Cocaine RATING SHEET FOR LONG TERM EFFECTS LONG TERM EFFECTS: List in point form all

of the long term effects that you found in your two sources Highlight= important notes that are the reasons for the my rating

There are indicators that changes in brain chemistry right away after cocaine use and may last for several weeks or more after cocaine use has stopped. A change that results in the intake of cocaine is called neuroadaptation or tolerance and dependence. What this means is that the brain adjusts to the amount of chemicals that it produces on how the drug changes those chemicals. If Cocaine makes more of a harmful chemical in the brain called dopamine, available to the brain cells, the brain cells that produce dopamine may decrease in number. If cocaine use is stopped it is very difficult and challenging to quit because after one use it has changed the brain and only gets worse after if stopping because now the brain is used to the drug, it makes more challenges health wise. When cocaine is stopped, there will be disturbed behavioral and physical effects since the brain is not yet able to makes its normal amount of dopamine yet. The changes are called tolerance and dependence that suggest that brain chemical have been changed. Long-term effects can and may lead to heart arrhythmia and heart attacks, strokes, seizures, headaches, abdominal pain, ulcers, nausea, and sometimes death. Combining alcohol use and cocaine use is particularly dangerous. Long-term effects can also lead to kidney failure. Another long-term effect can make for extreme weight loss. Snorting cocaine can lead to losing your sense of smell, irritation of the nasal septum, sniffling, nosebleeds, and hoarseness. Injecting cocaine puncture marks, collapsed veins, and allergic reactions.

The possible long-term effects of cocaine are destruction of tissue in the nose if cocaine is sniffed; respiratory problems if cocaine is smoked; contraction of infectious diseases if cocaine is injected; abscesses if cocaine is injected; malnutrition and weight loss; disorientation; indifference; exhaustion and disorientation as a result of sleeplessness; a heightened tolerance to the effects of the drug; a strong psychological dependence on the drug; and a state similar to paranoid psychosis (with continued use of the drug).

RATING OF LONG TERM EFFECTS: Rate the degree of detrimental impact of the long term effects of your drug. 0 no impact 1 minimal impact 2 moderate impact 3 strong impact 4 very strong impact

REASONS FOR YOUR RATING OF LONG TERM EFFECTS: Write 3-4 sentences in your own words to explain your reasoning for your rating. The highest rating of 4, being a very strong detrimental impact to ones well-being, is most appropriate, because the consequences of continued use of cocaine are severe on a variety of fronts that all lead to a high probability of secondary illness that all increase the probability of a premature death. The physical effects of continued use can lead to kidney failure, heart failure, sleeplessness (often tied to the onset of illness, such as stress and cancer), malnutrition, the contraction of infectious diseases, and a change in brain chemicals that diminish the brains performance after the use of cocaine. Further, the dangers of cocaine use are heightened with the use of alcohol, and also as a result of a lasting change in behaviour that has regular users living in a constant state of disorientation and indifference. Both these behavioural side effects can cause users to have poor judgement leaving them to not take care of themselves from a nutrition and health perspective, and also more likely to expose themselves to increased danger, such as participation in dangerous social settings and activities, very likely to include other users, and likely to be criminal in nature.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION: Write a multiple choice question on the long term effects of your drug. There must be 4 choices for the answer (i.e. a, b, c & d). Please state or highlight the correct answer.

What is the most detrimental long-term effect of cocaine use? a). extreme weight loss b). heart attacks, seizures, strokes c). losing your sense of smell d). a strong psychological dependence on the drug

PICTURE WHICH RELATES TO THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF YOUR DRUG

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF TEXT & IMAGE SOURCES

1. http://grind365.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/mexican-cartel-bust.jpg 2. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Side_effects_of_chronic_use_of_C ocaine.png/250px-Side_effects_of_chronic_use_of_Cocaine.png 3. http://hypnothai.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/slide331.jpg 4. http://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/images/colorbox/stimulantslg.jpg