The Effects of Crack and Cocaine on Crime. (Unit 4: Street Drugs).

What drug pops into your mind when you hear the phrase "the war on drugs"? For most Americans, the word is "cocaine."

While statistics might show that other drugs are more heavily used or cause more overdoses, cocaine is the drug that gets the most attention on the nightly news. That's because cocaine and crime go hand in hand, and crime affects us all.

Cocaine is a white powder that comes from the leaves of the South American coca plant. It is a powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system, and it is an extremely addictive drug. The powder form of cocaine is inhaled through the nose (snorted). Cocaine produces feelings of euphoria (a "high") by affecting a neurotransmitter in the brain called dopamine. When special nerve cells in the brain release dopamine into the spaces between the cells, it generates good feelings, both physical and emotional. Cocaine prevents the dopamine from being absorbed back into the nerve cells, so the good feeling is nonstop and very intense-- until the high wears off.

Crack is cocaine that has been processed into rock-like pieces that can be smoked. Crack is even more addictive than cocaine because it reaches the brain faster. A faster high is more intense, but it doesn't last as long.

Once the brain has experienced cocaine or crack, it wants more. The body also begins to develop a tolerance to the drug. The high doesn't last as long, so the user uses the drug more frequently to keep the high going.

If cocaine use is stopped, withdrawal symptoms occur. These may include having trouble sleeping, loss of appetite, depression, or anxiety. But the worst symptom is an intense craving for more cocaine or crack and a willingness to do just about anything to get it.

Addiction to cocaine and crack is so intense that it creates a big demand for the drug. The demand causes crime in several ways. One reason is that it is ...