Cocaine: Drug-Taking Behavior Paper Example

Introduction

Cocaine is a strong form of stimulant used as a recreational drug. It is consumed by snorting, inhaling, smoking as well as injecting to the blood veins. Cocaine is associated with various mental consequences such as lack of contact with the reality, agitation as well as intense happiness feeling. Though it has some medical uses such as decreasing bleeding in the nasal surgeries and numbing, its harm is more than good. Therefore, this essay will highlight how genetics affects individuals' drug intake, how cocaine affects the nervous system as well as how the environment affects drug-taking behavior.

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How biology drives drug-taking behavior

In the current world, numerous questions are arising regarding the relationship between genes and drug intake in individuals. After using cocaine, the reaction between the drug and the body will differ from one person to the other. Why does one person become an addict while the other does not? In the body system of every individual, there consist of genes which control the behavior and growth of a person (Volkow, 2014). Addiction genes are the one that is responsible for identifying whether an individual will be an addict or not. In some scenarios, an individual might possess an addiction gene that may make it hard for him or her to quit cocaine once consumption has started. Therefore, the factors in the body that make it hard to stop drug are also genetic.

Besides, there are immense factors that contribute to one becoming an addict. Inherited and environmental factors are considered to contribute highly to the gene-addiction relationship. An addict parent has a high degree of transferring the addiction genes to the generation coming forth. This implies that the generation will be prone to addiction once they start the consumption. However, addiction genes are not similar in all individuals, and this is why the identification of an addiction gene is a challenging process. Moreover, not all individuals with addiction genes will demonstration the traits.

Notably, drug taking behavior is considered an inherited component which in most scenarios will move around in the family. To understand how the behavior of drug intake is affected by genetic composition, comparing the DNA sequence of different families will be essential. The family which is prone to addiction should be compared with the less prone one. However, in most circumstance, the family that is associated with a high level of addiction possesses the receptor gene DRD2 (Volkow, 2014). It is a gene mostly found on the cocaine addicts. Therefore, people should understand the genetic variation in the addicts' system for them to seek proper treatment. The effectiveness of medication will also differ from one individual to the other depending on the genetic make-up they possess.

How drug-taking behavior affects the nervous system

Drug taking behavior affects the nervous system and the entire body as well. The central nervous system is the part of the brain responsible for actions coordination and signal transmission in all part of the body. For instance, when I burn my finger on a stove, the stimulus will be sent to the central nervous system in the brain, which will make a response to the hand and withdrawal will occur immediately (Volkow, 2014). When an individual consumes drugs such as cocaine, it will cut off the communication taking place in the central nervous system. Since smooth communication has been stopped, drugs can be used to kill the pain and make an individual more relaxed.

Remarkably, people take it as a benefit, since the consumption of drugs will make them relaxed and relieve the pain. But, looking on the other side of the coin, the nervous system communication has to be cut time and again, thus increasing drug usage in an individual. Drugs also impose a negative impact on the senses (Spear & Frambes, 2010). Since the central nervous system (CNS) is responsible for controlling all senses, when communication is cut off in the CNS, the senses are also cut off which means the body will not function normally. Besides, using drugs such as cocaine for a long duration of time will cause paranoia condition which harms how the central nervous system performs. This condition can cause other severe conditions such as sudden cardiac arrest, cardiac arrhythmias, hypertension as well as stroke. Similarly, cocaine produces a substance called meth which affects the brain, causing learning and memory problems as well as difficulties in regulating emotional issues.

Likewise, drugs affect the entire mechanism of the body. For instance, it changes brain activities and how the transmission is carried out. Since the system is made up of numerous neurons, sniffing cocaine will have a significant impact on how they operate. Once the drug taken reaches the brain, it interferes with how these neurons carry out the operations of sending, receiving and distributing the information through the transmitter cells (Spear & Frambes, 2010). Some of the drugs such as marijuana and cocaine contain a chemical substance similar to that of neurotransmitter in the body. This allows the drugs to activate the neurons upon the drug intake. Though it cannot activate the neurons in the same way neurotransmitters could do; they will lead to abnormal messages being delivered to the receptor cells. The increasing use of the drug will increase the secretion of the substance which will distort the communication entirely.

Nevertheless, the consumption of drugs has both long-term and short-term effect on the CNS. To start with the short-term ones, the effect appears after the use of a dose and will be off within a few minutes or an hour. When a small amount is consumed, the user will have the following effects - being mentally alert, euphoric, talkative as well as hypersensitive to sound, touch and sight. Similarly, there are various psychological effects correlated with drug use in the short-run. They include; constricted blood vessels, increased heart rate and the temperature of the body, high blood pressure as well as a dilated pupil (Spear & Frambes, 2010). When a large amount of cocaine is consumed, the user will have a feeling of restlessness, irritability, panic, and paranoia.

Likewise, when the drug is consumed in large quantities for a prolonged period, more extensive effects are experienced and in the long term. One may become psychotic which may lead to hallucination experiences (Worley & Schenk, 2014). Once the drugs are used to interfering with the brain process, one will need more and more quantity for the body to feel normal. Cocaine is associated with permanent damages of the blood vessels of both the heart and brain. Cases of high blood pressure are experienced which may cause the extreme conditions of heart attack, stroke, and death.

How environmental influences and biology interact to affect drug-taking behavior

Environmental and biological characteristics surrounding individuals play a significant role in shaping their drug-taking behavior. The likelihood of developing a drug taking behavior varies from one person to the other. The main reason is that the environmental influences and biology of individuals differ (Worley & Schenk, 2014). Mainly, the experiences of individuals shape the way their brain functions and their brain functioning shape their experiences. Mostly, individuals with a family history of addiction are highly susceptible to drug-taking behaviors than those with no such history of risk factors.

Biology can affect a person's risk of drug addiction. Biological factors such as genes, gender, and stage development have a direct impact on the drug-taking behavior of people. Scientists approximate that genetic factors, comprising of the effects environmental aspects have on an individual's genetic expression, known as epigenetics, account for the highest percentage of a person's addiction risk. The stage of development profoundly affects the behavior of individuals concerning drug usage. For instance, teenagers are exposed to high risks of drug use than elderly people.

Environmental factors interacting with biology also affect the drug-taking behavior of people. Environmental aspects are those that are associated with neighborhood, family or even school. Firstly, the home and family environment contributes to the development and behavior of children. The risk of children using drugs in the future increases when they are raised in a family where family members and parents use drugs like cocaine. The earliest interactions of children within the family are crucial to their risk of drug use as their experiences in the family will shape how their brains work (Worley & Schenk, 2014). Secondly, poor social skills in individuals put them at high risk of drug abuse due to the belief that drug usage will make them feel better. Also, school and peers affect the drug-taking behavior of people. Being in a school where drugs are readily available increases the risk of taking drugs. In addition, peer influence can lead even teenagers who have no risk factors into trying drugs and using them.

Conclusion

Cocaine drug can be described as a potent stimulant that can alter the functioning of the brain. Though it is used for medicinal purposes in some circumstances such as numbing and nasal surgeries, it has more harm than good when abused. Cocaine is associated with different effects that are classified to long-term and short-term. Short-Term effects include paranoia, hallucination panic as well as dilated pupils. For the long-term effects, the victim is prone to high blood pressure, heart attack as well as damaging blood vessels. The environmental factors that individuals are exposed to interact with their biology and affect their drug-taking behavior. Biological aspects such as genes, stage development, and gender play a significant role in the drug use of an individual. Interacting with environmental factors such as family, school, and peers, individuals develop behaviors that are consistent with what is happening around them. The experiences of individuals in the environment shape their minds and behaviors. Hanging out with peers or family members who use cocaine will make an individual turn into such a practice.

References

Spear, L & Frambes, N. A. (2010). Cocaine effects on the developing central nervous system: Behavioral, psychopharmacological, and neurochemical studies. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 562(1), 290-307.

Worley, C. M & Schenk, S. (2014). Reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-taking behavior by cocaine and caffeine. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 48(1), 217-221.

Volkow, N. (2014). Drug addiction: the neurobiology of behavior gone awry. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 5(12), 963.