G'day, I'm Jesse Crowe, The Travelling Scientist
and today we're going to be looking at cocaine
answering 3 key questions...
How does this drug act in the body?
What are the risks of using cocaine?
And what's going to happen if you have too much?
Cocaine comes from the leaves of the Coca Plant
and it increases neurotransmitter levels like dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline
Normally, these neurotransmitters send signals through your neurons
then get recycled back up into the cells
but cocaine inhibits those recycling receptors
keeping the neurotransmitters outside the cell
where they continue to excite your nervous system
The result is a feeling of energy and excitement
but it can have some serious side effects...
FUN FACT
Sigmund Freud used cocaine, and he broadly promoted it as a tonic to cure depression and sexual impotence
In 1884 he published an article entitled "Uber Coca"
which promoted the benefits of cocaine, calling it a magical substance
So the greatest psychologist of all time was a a little bit of a cokehead
Cocaine constricts your blood vessels which increases your blood pressure
and makes your heart require more oxygen to pump blood through the body
Unfortunately the blood vessels leading to the heart are constricted
so the heart is getting less blood
Simultaneously, the excitement and the euphoria you're feeling from the cocaine
makes your heart beat faster which means it requires MORE oxygen
but it's not getting enough oxygen in the first place
and all of a sudden your heart stops and YOU DIE!!!
...This is a worst-case scenario, but it happens
Other side effects of cocaine include nausea, sweating, confusion
aggression, anxiety and even seizures
When cocaine is mixed with alcohol in your system
it creates this compound called Coca-ethylene
which kind of sounds like if you mix coca-cola with petrol
and it's about as healthy as that
I mean coke ethylene is really really bad for your heart
It leads to cardiomyopathy, which is basically a breakdown of your heart muscle
and if you are gonna use cocaine
just don't drink alcohol at the same time it's soo so bad, don't do it!
In general, if you have a heart condition, cocaine is REALLY dangerous
It has a huge impact on your heart and blood vessels, and it COULD kill you...
ANOTHER FUN FACT!
Cocaine used to be the key ingredient in coca-cola
until 1903 when public pressure forced the company to remove the drug from its best-selling beverage
but it's still somehow addictive...
Did they even remove the cocaine?
Cocaine is addictive and acts in the reward centre of your brain
by blocking dopamine reuptake receptors
you get this big hit of dopamine which makes you feel REALLY good
but then when the cocaine wears off you want to get that feeling back again
You want that dopamine hit, that feel-good reward
It's gonna make a use cocaine again...
This is called addiction and it can be deadly...here's why
If you keep using cocaine repeatedly
your body responds to it by reducing the amount of neurotransmitter receptors
This is your body building up a tolerance to the drug
As a result, you need to use more of the drug to get the same effect
and this increases your risk of suffering from cocaine overdose
which takes us to the next section
If you have too much cocaine, you will suffer from some serious symptoms
including a rapid heartbeat, chest pain, trouble breathing
and you might even pass out
To treat these symptoms, you will require medical attention
A doctor may need to apply a sedative, or they might need to rehydrate you with an IV
Don't try to treat yourself for a cocaine overdose
just get to a hospital!
and a good way to prevent cocaine overdose is to not use cocaine at all
This is a really dangerous drug and if you have an addiction to cocaine
Please talk to your doctor about it
It could save your life!
Anyway that's all for today guys
Thank you so much for watching
If you learnt anything about cocaine, hit the like button down below
and let me know what you think about this drug in the comments section down below
Finally, next week's video is going to be a little bit of a surprise
So make sure you subscribe for more Travelling Science every single week
And I'll see you guys next Science Sunday
Cheers!
Sigmund Freud used cocaine, he was a FEIND!
I feel like there is cocaine in this tea...