Cocaine is a very powerful drug. Individuals who use it put them selves at serious risk of addiction. Cocaine can be taken a number of different ways. Individuals may snort it, smoke it or inject it.  Another form of cocaine which is just as addictive and dangerous is crack.  Crack involves the freebase of cocaine. There are a number of street names for cocaine. Some of the most popular include coke, blow, Candy C and Batman.

Individuals that use cocaine report having feelings of euphoria. It makes them feel good. They also tend to have increased energy. The 'high' is so powerful and feels so good to people that they want to continue using even when they know that they are at risk. Other individuals become physically addicted and it becomes difficult for them to stop using even when they want to.

There are a lot of dangerous side effects to using cocaine.  Some of the most common include failure of the respiratory system, seizure, heart attack and stroke. The drug also has a strong and often negative impact on a person's mental facilities. They may become violent and act in ways that they normally would not.  While some drugs are far less dangerous in this regard, a person who uses cocaine is at risk for sudden death. This can even happen after trying the drug for the first time, think Len Bias. In this way cocaine is very unpredictable.

A study done by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that in the year 2006 roughly 6 million individuals in America had used cocaine one or more times in the year before the study.  One and half million individuals had used crack in the same manner and time frame.

Cocaine is used not only by adults but even by adolescents and teenagers. A NIDA funded study found that 2% of 8th graders had used cocaine in the year prior to the study. More than 3% of 10th graders and over 5% of 12th graders have used cocaine. These are alarming statistics to say the least.

Cocaine is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system and also boosts the levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine helps individuals feel pleasure and happiness.  As a result, people who take it feel euphoric and want to continue using it. Though these feeling of pleasure exists, individuals may also complain of headaches, feel hot, an increased heart rate and blood pressure.

Right now, the primary method to treat cocaine addiction includes cognitive, behavioral therapy. Those who require help for an addiction will likely be placed in a rehab program that offers these sorts of treatments.