subject: Cocaine Addiction And Its Side Effects On Teens [print this page] Surveys have shown that nearly 6 out of 100 of the high school seniors had taken cocaine at some point of time in their lives. Though it has been found out that there is a reducing trend in the cocaine addiction in the students, steps need to be taken to make certain that this trend keeps on going. In an ideal condition, none of the teens would abuse cocaine. The first step to check the teenagers from being addicted to cocaine is to raise knowledge of dangers associated with cocaine.
The teenagers must know that the risks are real. They are wrong if they think that cocaine will not cause damage to them. We will discuss the cocaine abuse side effects so that the teenagers can be avoided from experimenting with it.
Heart Problems
It affects the cardiovascular well being adversely. The risk of heart attack gets high even in the teenagers. The abusers who are in the range of 18 to 45 years are at the biggest risk of heart stroke. Researches have revealed that the abusers are not the only ones vulnerable to threat. Even the casual, non-abusive cocaine users are at risk of having heart stroke.
Other than threat of cardiac arrest, the abusers of cocaine can also face cardiomyopathy, chest pain, and high blood pressure. Cocaine causes restrictions in the blood vessels which result in the decreased blood flow and increased blood pressure. This issue is further deteriorated by the fact that the cocaine elevates the rate of heartbeat and need of oxygen in the body.
Impairment to Lungs
The abuse of cocaine results in harm to the lungs. The function of lungs is seriously damaged. Due to damage to the lungs, the cocaine abuser faces shortness of breath, severe coughing, airway impairment, worsening of asthmatic symptoms and pulmonary edema.
The probability of contacting tuberculosis (TB) is 240% higher in the cocaine users than those who do not abuse drugs. The alarming fact is that the victims of tuberculosis who have been using cocaine are comparatively young in the age class of 20 to 49.
Side effects on brain functioning:
The use of cocaine affects adversely the cognitive ability of the brain. Cocaine impairs the capability of the brain to be attentive. In addition to impairment to attentiveness, the memory is also hamred by the addiction to cocaine. It can cause bizarre violent behavior and seizures.
