Cocaine - A Threat to Our Youth

Cocaine is a drug notorious for its immediate allure; it is equally notorious for its instantly addictive properties. The powerful stimulant often comes in a hydrochloric form to be snorted, or dissolved to be injected - both routes of administration that produce instantaneous mental and physical piquancy.

Cocaine increases the amount of dopamine distributed to the brain causing intense, concentrated pleasure. The sensation makes the drug highly addictive which is hazardous considering that cocaine causes the body's heart rate to accelerate and blood vessels to constrict, making cardiac arrest or heart attack a serious risk to even a first-time user. Given the threats of such a drug, the statistics illustrating usage among the youthful demographic are frightening. As reported by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the average age among the.6 million first time users of cocaine in 2010 was twenty-one years old. Similar numbers have been reported in previous years with 2009 averaging at twenty years old and 2008 averaging at nineteen. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health also estimated, in 2008, that adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one have an altogether higher rate of current cocaine use.

We may ask ourselves, "What is the appeal of such a hazardous drug to a young crowd? Where do young adults develop the impetus to fall into such a destructive habit?" It could be the way in which cocaine is romanticized in the media through outlets like Gonzo journalism and rock music. It is an unfortunate peril that many figureheads of today's popular medium have been widely known cocaine users. If the perpetuation of drug use is going to be encouraged in society, the sentiments must be negated with positive remedies.

Knowledge of the dangers posed by cocaine should be made accessible and appealing to the young adult population. In that same vein, when preemptive strikes fail to discourage drug use, it is important that users know where to seek aid on the track to rehabilitation. Individuals should know also how to approach cocaine addiction treatment. With the right facility, it is possible to maintain long-term stability thorough physical and mental revitalization. Addicts who aim for recovery should be able to find their ideal cocaine addiction treatment center -one that caters to the individual needs of their physical and neurological state. In the way that commercial media swarms with temptations and influences, options for preserving sobriety should be made apparent to anyone, yet particularly our nascent youth.

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