In 2021 about 1.7% of the population 12 years or older, which is 4.8 million, reported using cocaine in the past 12 months. Approximately 24,486 people died from an overdose involving cocaine according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Cocaine is a powerful drug and you shouldn’t use it. Here are some reasons cocaine is bad: when used too much the brain adapts to the cocaine so when a user stops using the drug the person starts becoming aggressive and much more, said by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The drug can also temporarily decrease the need to eat food and to sleep. 

Cocaine is a powerful substance and when you snort cocaine it goes to the bloodstream and goes directly to the brain, the NYC Health said. Why cocaine is so addictive is because of the effects it has on the brain: cocaine stimulates feelings of pleasure. Small amounts of cocaine usually make the user feel energetic, talkative, mentally alert, and hypersensitive to sight, sound, and touch.

When using cocaine, it can cause severe medical complications. Some of the most frequent medical complications that happen when using cocaine include disturbances in heart rhythm and heart attacks. Some neurological effects that can happen are seizures, strokes, and comas, including abdominal pain and nausea. On rare occasions, sudden death can happen when using this drug for the first time.  

Cindy Estrada, a science teacher, spoke about cocaine in her perspective about what she knows about this drug. “It’s an addictive drug and people can overdose on it and are more likely to die. Withdrawal is more powerful that other drugs like cannabis.”

Cocaine users may also use alcohol, and this mix can be dangerous. Another thing that the National Institute on Drug Abuse said is that the two drugs react to make coca ethylene, which may cause the toxic effects of cocaine and alcohol on the heart. The combination of cocaine and heroin is also very dangerous. Using both can cause a bunch of heroin in your body without realizing it. This is because cocaine’s effects wear off sooner. This can lead to an overdose, in which the user’s respiration dangerously slows down.

Cocaine in its various forms is from the coca plant which is native to the high mountains in South America. The coca leaves were used by natives of this region. The stimulating effects of the drug increase breathing which increases oxygen intake. This afforded natives to perform their duties in the thin air at high ranges. In time, science figured out how to maximize the strength and effect of the drug contained in the coca leaves.