Physical addiction cocaine

Coca-cola got its name from the coca leaf extract which it contained (as did a variety of wines) until 1904. Neither tolerance nor physical addiction to cocaine seem to occur, so sniffing it occasionally should be quite safe. 

No one starts out saying, I want to be an addict. Cocaine is one of the most addictive drugs there is—both psychologically and physically. Once you use cocaine, even just one time, you cannot predict how much or how often you will continue to use it. 

Choice of substance can make a difference. Although most any substance (and activity) can become psychologically addictive, only some tend to become physically addictive. Stimulants (cocaine, for example), depressants (alcohol, for example), and narcotics (heroin, for example) are more likely to become physically addicting than inhalants (paint thinner, for example) or hallucinogens (LSD, for example). Whether marijuana can be physically addictive seems open to debate (it meets the criterion of tolerance but not withdrawal, see "physical addiction" on page 53). 

In contrast, some drugs of abnse prodnce intense craving and are highly addictive bnt do not prodnce physical dependence. The absence of physical dependence indicates the relative lack of physiological withdrawal. This is not synonymous with meaning that discontinuation of these componnds may not be psychologically nncomfortable. Two examples are marijnana and cocaine. One need only look to the recent crack epidemic to see evidence of the way these substances can destroy lives, bnt they do not produce tolerance or risk of withdrawal to the same extent as alcohol or heroin. As a result, we would say that the daily crack or marijuana user meets the dehnition of substance dependence bnt does not exhibit true physical (or physiological) dependence. 

For many addictive products, the temptation to consume declines over the course of one s life. For example, if a twenty-year-old and a sixty-year-old have both never taken cocaine, it seems likely that the temptation to take a first hit is larger for the twenty-year-old. This difference might arise from forces such as peer pressure, or the young body s physical resilience, or merely the fact that an older person tends to lose interest in novel activities. Consider the following model of addiction ... 

Cocaine is so rewarding that its users prefer it to sex, food, and water, thus overriding basic survival drives. In experiments, laboratory animals will self-administer cocaine to the point of severe toxicity, physical exhaustion, and even death. Many human users support their habit by selling cocaine or by stealing from friends and coworkers. Even Sigmund Freud, who wrote a scholarly and quite accurate treatise on cocaine s effects in Uber Coca (1884), got carried away and claimed his use of the drug cured his morphine addiction. In fact, it simply became a second addiction for him. 

Dependence may develop after chronic use of cocaine or amphetamines. The abstinence syndrome is characterized primarily by depression and craving with few measurable physiological effects. Thus, a drug that does not cause severe physical withdrawal symptoms can still be highly addictive. 

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. Addiction can be physical and cause the user to experience withdrawal symptoms when he or she does not use the drug. Addiction can also be psychological, and used in a pattern of behavior that helps the user cope with difficult emotions. An often overlooked aspect of cocaine addiction is its social aspect—that is, the user may associate certain friends and situations with drug use. 

Cocaine is thought to be one of the most powerfully addictive of all drugs. Its effects are long-lasting, and cocaine addiction involves physical, physiological, and social aspects. 

The fear that Tony feels is a combination of his realization that he may be addicted to cocaine, and the psychological and physical effects of cocaine itself. Heavy, regular use of cocaine is known to cause restlessness, anxiety, paranoia, and irritability, as well as insomnia and weight loss. 

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