Cocaine has been a social issue for many years and has never lost its appeal or its potential for addiction. Generally, it is short acting and is more expensive when compared with other recreational drugs. Cocaine, being a unique drug because of the way it is glamorized, makes addiction more difficult to escape from.
Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine is a drug extracted from the leaves of cocoa plant which mainly grows in Bolivia and Peru. It is one of the oldest known narcotics and anesthetics used medically to treat various illnesses. It is a potent brain stimulant that creates intense feeling of euphoria which then results to drug addiction.
Aside from being a brain stimulant, what makes cocaine very addicting is the lifestyle. Cocaine addiction has become a way of life. People are addicted to the fast life that cocaine can provide them. Cocaine in its unique ways “enhances” one’s social life that people tend to glamorize the drug. Cocaine addicts put the drug up on a pedestal thinking that people who use the drug are living a life that other people only wish they could live.
Statistically, approximately 36.8 million Americans ages 12 years old and older have tried cocaine at least once in their lifetimes. According to White House Drug Policy, 19.5% of which are 8th graders, 28.2% are 10th graders and 38.9% are 12th graders. In the United States, over 150,000 deaths annually have been associated with stimulants such as cocaine. In the 2008 survey of White House Drug Policy, cocaine is “very easy” or “fairly” easy to obtain.
Cocaine has various street names which include white crack, snowbirds, snow, rock, nose candy, lady, freebase, flake, coke, blow, fish scales, and Big C. It is usually distributed in the streets in 2 forms: crack and powder. Crack refers to cocaine hydrochloride that has been processed with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or ammonia and water to form freebase cocaine – rocks, chunks or chips. The powder form on the other hand is the white crystalline cocaine hydrochloride. Crack cocaine can be smoked while powders are snorted or dissolved in water to be injected.
Cocaine Rehab Programs
Generally, the treatment for cocaine drug addiction is the same for most other drugs. What separates this type of addiction from others is the withdrawal or detoxification process. By definition, Detoxification is the process wherein the substance is removed from the body. It is the primary step in every drug rehab program.
In treating cocaine drug addiction, the first step is getting the patient to agree on the treatment. It is necessary that the user is committed to sobriety from the addict. The success of the treatment programs can only be achieves if the patient truly wants to help himself.
The treatment for cocaine addiction is almost always done on an inpatient basis, usually in a rehab facility, clinic or hospital inpatient treatment. In contrast with other drugs, the withdrawal symptoms of cocaine are not life threatening and would usually resolve in less than a week. However, the psychological cravings may still remain. Aside from medical assistance, the main purpose of inpatient detoxification is to prevent the patient from accessing the drug.
Drug rehabilitation for cocaine consists of general group therapy combined with targeted therapy. The goal is to educate the patient about the drug and help them adopt strategies to prevent relapses and keep a sober life. Drug rehabs are more effective when done inpatient. However, this option is quite expensive so not all drug addicts are able to take advantage of the program.
Rehabilitation can also be done in an outpatient basis. This is known as the 12 step group for cocaine recovery or the Cocaine Anonymous. Another available program where addicts of various drugs meet is the Narcotics Anonymous. There are even Alcoholics Anonymous groups that allow individuals who are addicted with other substances to attend their group meetings.
Florida’s History with Cocaine
Cocaine trafficking and abuse continue to threaten the health and safety American citizens. The distribution, trafficking and abuse of cocaine and crack cocaine have already spread from suburban areas to smaller cities resulting to an increase of criminal and cases of violence. As a matter of fact, the level of violence associated with cocaine trafficking is the highest of any drug.
In Florida, drug trafficking is considered as an extremely serious criminal charge. It is often “over charged” indicating that the Florida authorities and prosecutors are aggressive in pursuing this fight against drugs.
Find a Florida Cocaine Rehab Center
Cocaine drug rehab is usually offered by professionals who specialize in this particular field. It is best that you can choose a drug rehab facility that you think would give you the treatment which is most suited to your condition. Click here to find a Florida cocaine rehab that’s right for you or your loved one.
