Recent developments in the abuse of cocaine

Cocaine is a powerful euphoriant and it relieves, though only transiently, depression, dread and dysphoria. New patterns of cocaine abuse, such as the inhalation of vaporized cocaine base, the intravenous injection of cocaine hydrochloride and the smoking of coca paste, produce a brief elation that quickly gives way either to a return to the baseline mood or to displeasure, resulting in a strong desire to return to the momentary ecstatic experience, a cycle that leads to compulsive use. The enormous profits made from illicit traffic in cocaine lead to corruption, violence and political destabilization. The individual costs of cocaine abuse include loss of personal fortunes, jobs and families. The safety of cocaine use is a myth. There are a number of ways in which cocaine can be lethal. The high doses of cocaine abused today induce physical dependence, but this is less a contributory factor than the intense psychological craving to perpetuate cocaine use. There is no specific way to treat dysfunctional cocaine use; instead the treatment plan must deal with the individual's specific situation. Except for a reduction of cocaine supply at the source, preventive measures are only feasible in the context of abstinence from all abusable drugs.