8. Features
Plant is 8-12 feet tall.
Category: Shrubs
Fruits: Red oval shaped, 1 cm size
and produces only one seed.
Seeds: Brownish oval
Stem diameter: 16cms
12. Leaves: Green, smooth, glossy,
opaque, oval, tapering at extremities,
2-3 cm wide and 3-11 cm long.
Leaves when chewed have pleasant,
pungent taste.
Poisonous parts: Leaves
Toxins: Methylbenzoylecgonine i.e.
Cocaine an active principal obtained
from leaves (0.5-1% Al.Cocaine)
13.
14.
15. Geographical Distribution
Grows throughout the tropical
regions.
1.Whole of Latin American Countries
such as Columbia, mexico, ecuador,
and other countries such as Chile,
Peru, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, etc.
Bolivia-leading producer-80% world
total cocaine producer.
16.
17.
18. High risk geographical areas:
1. Bolivia
2. Peru
3. Brazil – Amazon region
4. Ecuador
5. Columbia
6. Chile
20. History
3000 B.C.:Leaves chewed throughot
South America. Coca believed to be a
gift from Go.
1708 A.D. Coca first time mentioned
in materia medica.
1850: Coca tinctures used in throat
surgery
1855: Cocaine 1st time extracted
from coca leaves.
21. 1884: Used as local anaesthetic in
eye surgery
1886: Cocaine introduced in newly
launched soft drink - Coca Cola.
1901: Cocaine removed from Coca
Cola.
1905: Snorting cocaine in the form
of powder became popular.
1910:1st case of nasal damage seen.
22. 1912: U.S. Govt. reports 5000
cocaine related fatalities in one year
1914: Banned of cocaine in U.S.
Cost of making 1 kg cocaine: $200-
$400.
Cost of 1 kg cocaine- at present
$15000 – 35000.
24. Features
White powder or crystals
Odourless
numbing taste
slightly volatil
melting point 96 degree celsius and
should be protected from heat and
sunlight.
29. Hydrochloride Salt: It is the
powdered form of cocaine, dissolves
in water and when abused, can be
taken i.v. or snorted.
Freebase: Compound that has not
been neutralized by an acid to make
hydrochloride salt. It can be smoked.
30. Crack: When freebase is heated with
sodium bicarbonate it yields crack.
Why the word crack?
It is smoked.
31. Principle Routes of Abuse
Intravenous
Snorting
Smoking/inhalation
Ingestion: both cocaine and leaves
of coca plants
What is snorting?
36. Action
Desensitizes the terminal nerves
and causes vasoconstriction at the site
of local application.
When taken i.v. or inhaled,
stimulates the cerebral cortex .
40. Detection
Metabolites can be detected for
varying lengths of time in urine
depending upon the dose consumed
and sensitivity of the assay.
Metabolites in urine is generally
detected in urine for 24-72 Hrs. even
after brief consumption.
41. With chronic use it is deposited in
body in fats/cns. and is slowly
released. Hence, can be detected in
urine for even couple of weeks.
Metabolites also detectable in
blood, saliva, hair and sweat.
42. Blood and saliva: Provide accurate
conc. of the drug consumed.
Urine: Provides longer window of
opportunity for detection.
44. Acute Effects
Local: Anaesthetic when comes in
contact with mucous membrane.
Increase energy
Euphoria
Mental Alertness
Increase heart rate/B.P./temp.
Dilates pupil
Vasoconstriction
45. Long-term Effects
It is powerful addictive drug.
Once having tried, an individual may
have difficulty in predicting the extent
to which he will continue to use the
drug.
Abusers are of upper class society
peoples to enhance self image or
improve professional performance.
46. Reason for addiction?
Its stimulant and addictive effects are
thought to be primarily a result of its
ability to inhibit the reabsorption of
dopamine by nerve cells.
Note: Dopamine is directly or
indirectly involved in addictive
properties of every major drug of
abuse
47. Cocaine in brain: In normal
communication process, dopamine is
released by neuron into the synapse,
where it can bind with dopamine
receptors on neighbouring neurons.
Normally dopamine is then recycled
back into the transmitting neuron by a
dopamine transporter.
48. If cocaine is present, it attatches to
the dopamine transporter and blocks
the normal recycling process, resulting
in a building up of dopamine in the
synapse which contributes to the
pleasurable effects of cocaine.
51. Long-term effect of cocaine may lead
to:
Irritability
Dependency- Discuss that not each
and every causes dependency.
Mood disturbances
Restlessness
Paranoia
Auditory hallucinations
53. GIT – abdominal pain
nausea
Tongue and teeth are black
Regular snorting can lead to loss of
sensation of smell, nose bleeding,
problem of swallowing, hoarseness
and irritation of nasal septum leading
to chronically inflammed running nose
54.
55.
56. Ingested cocaine can cause bowel
gangrene due to reduced blood flow.
Many chronic cocaine habitual
suffers loss of appetites and can
experience significant weight loss and
malnourishment.
57. Cocaine bugs phenomenon: Grains of
sand are lying under skin or some small
insects are creeping on the skin giving
rise to itching sensation – a form of
tactile hallucination.
Loss of libido
Impotence
Gynecomastia
Irregular menstrual cycle, infertility,
amenorrhea
58. Crack Babies: Increased risk of foetal
malformation fo cardiovascular and
cerebrovascular system due to chronic
abuse of cocaine by the mother.
61. Fatal dose:1 – 1.5 gram orally.
Fatal Period: Few minutes to few
hours.
Chronic abuser can tolerate up to
10 gms per day.
62. Autopsy Findings
No specific findings
Injection marks,
Atrophy, inflammation of nasal
mucosa.
Endocarditis due to aseptic i.v.
infusion of drug.
Pulmonary granulomatosis due to
infusion of adulterated particles viz.
starch, talc, etc.
65. CSF rhinorrhoea due to thinning of
cribriform plate.
Cocaine can be recovered by
sampling from recent injection sites or
by swabs from the nasal mucosa.
Brain is the excellent source.
66. Circumstances of Poisoning
Generally accidental overdose.
Rarely used for homicide/sucide.
Aphrodisiac - to increase the
duration of sexual act by desensitizing
the sensory nerves of glans penis
when applied locally.
Prostitutes injects cocaine solution
into the vagina to produce local
anaesthetic effect during coitus.