year old age group, the two age groups included in the under 26 years old category.
Among persons over the age of 25, 2.4 percent report the use of cocaine over the past year, while 7.3 percent reported the use of marijuana. Overall illegal drug use over the past year was 21.9 percent for those individuals in the 26 34 year old age group, and 6.0 percent for those individuals in the 35 year old and older age group, the two age groups included in the over 25 years old category.
The Effects of Cocaine on Physical and Psychological Health
Cocaine is a stimulant extracted from leaves of the coca plant (Flynn, 1991). The most available for in which cocaine is available is cocaine hydrochloride. This substance is used medically as a local anesthetic. The substance is also available on the streets in large pieces referred to as rocks (Lee, 1986). Street cocaine may be inhaled, ingested, injected, or smoked (Erickson, 1987).
Physiological effects include dilated pupils, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, and increased body temperature (Arif, 1987). Repeated inhalation often causes nostril and nasal membrane irritation.
Psychological effects include feelings of euphoria, illusions of increased physical and mental powers, illusions of increased sensory awareness, a decrease in the sense of hunger, a decrease in the sense of pain, and a decrease in the perceived need for sleep (Gold, Galanter, and Stimmel, 1987). Heavy use of cocaine may magnify the effects enumerated, and may also induce irrational behavior and confusion in the user (Kozel and Adams, 1985).
Paranoia is not an uncommon effect among heavy users of cocaine, and psychosis may be induced by such use in individuals already susceptible to mental instability (Flynn, 1991). Heavy cocaine use may also induce feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety, and may cause the user to experience hallucinations (Was...