Kids & Teens

ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE

More on Stimulants

Have you eaten any chocolate or drunk any soda lately? If you have, there's a good chance you gave your body a dose of a stimulant -- caffeine, which is also in coffee.

Eating or drinking a large amount of caffeine can make you feel jittery, nervous, or energetic. That is because caffeine -- like any stimulant -- changes the way your brain works.

But caffeine is just a mild example of a stimulant. Many other stimulant drugs are much stronger -- and some are illegal and very dangerous. Others require a doctor's prescription.

Examples of stronger stimulants include:

Cocaine: Made from the leaf of the coca plant, this drug often comes in the form of a white powder that some people inhale through their nose.
Crack: A form of cocaine that can be smoked.
Amphetamines: Often called "speed," these pills are sometimes prescribed by doctors for medical problems.
Methamphetamine: A powerful form of amphetamine that comes in clear crystals (called "ice") or powder (called "crank") that is smoked or injected.

Cocaine causes the body's blood vessels to become narrow, constricting the flow of blood. This is a problem. It forces the heart to work harder to pump blood through the body.

When the heart works harder, it beats faster. It may work so hard that it temporarily loses its natural rhythm. This is called fibrillation, and it can be very dangerous because it stops the flow of blood through the body.

Cocaine Can Damage the Way the Brain Works

Although cocaine may make someone feel pleasure for a while, later it can damage the ability to feel pleasure. Research suggests that long-term cocaine use may reduce the amount of dopamine or the number of dopamine receptors in the brain.

When this happens, nerve cells must have cocaine to communicate properly. Without the drug, the brain can't send enough dopamine into the receptors to create a feeling of pleasure.

If a long-term user of cocaine or crack stops taking the drug, the person feels an extremely strong craving for it, because without it he or she can't feel nearly as much pleasure.