Cocaethylene toxicity
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 2, 2026

Assessment of Cocaine-induced Behavioral Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice
Published on: February 18, 2016
1Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center, Louisville, USA.
Abstract:
Concurrent use of cocaine and alcohol produces another psychoactive substance known as cocaethylene which has pharmacological properties similar to that of cocaine but which has a plasma half-life three to five times that of cocaine. This slow removal from the body makes it an attractive drug for abuse. However, cocaethylene has been associated with seizures, liver damage, and compromised functioning of the immune system. It also carries an 18- to 25-fold increase over cocaine alone in risk for immediate death.
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