Drug AddictionDrug Addiction

Karen RevereKaren Revere

Kian EftekhariKian Eftekhari

Will HiesingerWill Hiesinger

What happens when you smoke crack?What happens when you smoke crack?

Euphoria Wakefulness

Anorexia Psychomotor activation

Increased energy Increased confidence

Sexual arousal Alertness/vigilance/anxiety

Racing thoughts Tachycardia (fast heart rate)

Grandiosity Hypertension (high blood pressure)

Perspiration Mydriasis (pupil dilation)

Courtesy of Charles A. Dackis, MD

What is difference between What is difference between CRACKCRACK-cocaine -cocaine and powder cocaine?and powder cocaine?

Courtesy of Charles A. Dackis, MD

VS.

Crack Cocaine Powder Cocaine

Crack cocaine is insoluble in water and is therefore not suitable for drinking, snorting or injecting. However, it vaporizes at a much lower temperature than powdered cocaine, which makes it suitable for inhalation

Powder cocaine is not well-suited for smoking because the temperature at which it vaporizes is very high, and close to the temperature at which it burns.

Powder cocaine, when snorted, typically begins working in about 15 minutes and can last several hours.

Crack cocaine is absorbed immediately into blood via the lungs, where it reaches the brain in about five seconds. The rush is much more intense than snorting powder cocaine, but the peak of the rush is over almost as soon the vapor is exhaled and the high typically lasts only 5–10 minutes.

Powder cocaine is EXPENSIVE!

Crack cocaine is CHEAP!

How does Crack get to the brain?How does Crack get to the brain?

What does the Crack do when What does the Crack do when it gets to the brain?it gets to the brain?

But first we need some help…But first we need some help…

What do these words mean?What do these words mean?

DENDRITE…AXON…SYNAPSE…NEUROTRANSMITTERDENDRITE…AXON…SYNAPSE…NEUROTRANSMITTER

DENDRITEDENDRITE

Dendrites are the branched projections of a neuron that act to conduct the electrical stimulation received from other neural cells to the cell body, or soma, of the neuron from which the dendrites project.

AXONAXON

An axon is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body or soma.

SYNAPSESYNAPSE

Synapses are specialized junctions through which cells of the nervous system signal to one another and to non-neuronal cells such as muscles or glands.

NEUROTRANSMITTERNEUROTRANSMITTER

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are used to relay, amplify and modulate electrical signals between a neuron and another cell.

So what exactly does Crack do to So what exactly does Crack do to the brain?the brain?

Dopamine transmitter released Dopamine transmitter released during neural signaling is normally during neural signaling is normally recycled via the transporter (DAT); recycled via the transporter (DAT); i.e., the transporter binds the i.e., the transporter binds the transmitter and pumps it out of the transmitter and pumps it out of the synaptic cleft back into the pre-synaptic cleft back into the pre-synaptic neuron, where it is taken synaptic neuron, where it is taken up into storage vesicles. Cocaine up into storage vesicles. Cocaine binds tightly at the DAT forming a binds tightly at the DAT forming a complex that blocks the complex that blocks the transporter's function. The DAT transporter's function. The DAT can no longer perform its reuptake can no longer perform its reuptake function, and thus dopamine function, and thus dopamine accumulates in the synaptic cleft. accumulates in the synaptic cleft. This results in an enhanced and This results in an enhanced and prolonged post-synaptic effect of prolonged post-synaptic effect of dopaminergic signalling at dopaminergic signalling at dopamine receptors on the dopamine receptors on the receiving neuron.receiving neuron.