Cocaine has a somewhat illustrious history. In the late nineteenth century, Sigmund Freud recommended its use as a medical treatment for depression and – ironically – substance abuse. It became legally available for use in medications and carbonated beverages. As the resulting rise in the use of cocaine became linked with some undesirable effects, governments started to ban it or restrict its use.
Classed as a stimulant, cocaine makes people feel alert, energetic and euphoric. It also creates a tolerance to these effects. In other words, users have to consume ever-increasing amounts of it is order to feel those effects.
Although cocaine was originally derived from the leaves of the coca bush, it is often synthetically made in illegal laboratories. Manufacturers often mix the cocaine with other substances, and this makes the addiction and the withdrawal potentially dangerous.
Cocaine addiction is often paired with other substance abuse problems.
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