Talk to Your Kids About... Cocaine

Cocaine is a psychoactive drug in that it is a stimulant to the brain. It make you excited but the effects are shortlasting. This may make you dependent on it. Cocaine is a hard drug your kids should definitely stay away from. Not only is it illegal, but it is very addictive and dangerous. It is not as commonly seen in parties as much as marijuana and ecstacy but still your kids need to know to stay away from it.

Cocaine is most often ingested by "sniffing lines." The effects of cocaine are almost immediate. You will feel a sudden rush, and a brief euphoria. You will also become very excited. Often times people become much more open about themselves and confident. However, the effects of cocaine only last for a long time so before you know it you may be yearning to take another hit. This adds to the addictive properties of cocaine.

Because cocaine is a stimulant, your heart will start to beat faster, your brain activity will speed up, etc. Your heart may become overstressed when you take large amounts of cocaine. Because cocaine is a stimulant, and your metabolism skyrockets you will most likely not be hungry for a long time after taking cocaine.

When taking moderate to large amounts of cocaine your ego may be boosted to levels that will annoy other people. Most users at this level become very aggressive and confident. However, if you use cocaine regularly at this level your immune system suffers and you will be more suspectable to infections and sickness. You may also start to experience frequent mood swings. People who take cocaine at this level are often very irritable and are on the brink of addiction. Cocaine will also boost your sexual urges so you may be pushed to have casual unprotected sex, which is also a grave risk.

If you ingest a lot of cocaine, meaning more than 6 lines, your brain will start to turn on you. You may become increasingly paranoid and you may also experience hallucinations. At this point it would be wise to stop for the sake of your life because most heart attacks and strokes occur after this many lines. If you are a cocaine user you should use in moderation if at all.

I have seen people collapse from cocaine use before. One of my classmates after prom got completely wasted. A few students were watching him for a while but paid him no attention until he collapsed on the floor. An ambulance was called but he had died before they could save him. We had tried CPR and everything in vain. He was only 17 and had died of a heart attack. This just goes to say that cocaine is a very dangerous drug. Don't think that just because you are young you are invincible. Things like this happen so you have to be careful and try to remain substance-free.