Teen Cocaine Addiction

Although young people use cocaine less than in previous decades, teen cocaine addiction is one of many drug-related issues for parents to worry about. Expensive and destructive, cocaine addiction among teens can cause significant harm to their futures and instigate them to do things that they might not normally do. In order to help break the cycle of cocaine addiction, it falls to parents to recognize the symptoms of the disease and find the most appropriate forms of treatment before the situation spirals out of control.

Crack addiction is just as harmful and prevalent among teenagers today as cocaine addiction. A different form of cocaine, crack or Õ¢__ÎÅ_crack rock,Õ¢__Îëù is smoked in a pipe rather than snorted in lines like its powdery cousin. The effects are very similar Õ¢__Î_ÑÒ stimulant in nature Õ¢__Î_ÑÒ and can lead to the same negative health consequences and addiction issues as cocaine. Understanding vital information about crack cocaine addiction in young people can help parents identify (and get treatment) for this problem before it is too late.

The 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates that about .7 percent of kids over the age of 12 used cocaine in the month prior to the survey and another .1 percent abused crack in the same time period. Young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are more likely to continue abusing cocaine and crack if they began to do so during their teen years and the percentage of use of both drugs more than doubled up to two percent.

It’s clear that early abuse of cocaine and crack is not harmless experimentation. If parents find that their teen is abusing either drug, they are encouraged to intervene immediately. Cocaine addiction treatment and crack abuse help are available at Newport Academy. Contact us today to learn more about our drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs for teens here in Newport Beach, California.

Addiction Symptoms

Some of the most significant signs of cocaine and crack addiction among teens are personality changes Õ¢__Î_ÑÒ mood swings, irritability, frequent trips to the bathroom, secretive behavior, changes in friends and interests Õ¢__Î_ÑÒ that can signify drug abuse. Of course, if you find drug paraphernalia among their possessions, that’s a sure sign of a problem. Be on the lookout for a chronically runny nose or sniffling, nosebleeds, and changes in sleeping and eating habits. When your teen is actively under the influence of cocaine, you may notice symptoms that include:

• Talkativeness
• Excessive amounts of energy
• Manic behavior
• Development of grandiose, unattainable plans
• Lack of appetite

When the drug begins to wear off, you may notice:

• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Excessive sleep

Withdrawal symptoms, too, can signify cocaine and crack addiction in your teen. These include depression, anxiety, a general lack of content with life, nightmares, irritability, increase in appetite, sluggishness, restlessness, paranoia and suicidal behavior.

How Cocaine and Crack Are Abused

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are three ways that cocaine and crack are ingested by teens: smoking, snorting and injecting with needles. Snorting is the primary form of ingestion for the powder form of cocaine. Kids do lines or Õ¢__ÎÅ_bumps,Õ¢__Îëù smaller amounts of the drug, by inhaling it through the nose, which allows for absorption into the blood stream through nasal tissue.

For teens who want a quicker or stronger high, injecting is a more intense form of use. Teens will dissolve the powder form of the drug in a small amount of water, usually in a spoon over a lighter flame, then inject the liquid right into their bloodstream.

Smoking provides the same intense experience as injecting without the needles, making it a preference for teens. Cocaine can be smoked along with marijuana, off a piece of tin foil or in a pipe; crack is in rock form and the primary method of ingestion is smoking through a pipe.

How cocaine and crack affects the brain and body will depend upon the method of ingestion. In general, the more quickly the drug is absorbed into the bloodstream, the more intense the euphoric experience for the user but the shorter the duration of that high. For example, snorting cocaine leads to a moderate high that lasts for anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes while smoking or injecting the drug will produce a more intense high that lasts between five and 10 minutes. The user must continue to take more and more of the drug in order to continue feeling the effects and at increasingly higher doses, resulting in binge use that can lead to addiction, overdose and other serious health problems.

The Dangers of Teen Crack and Cocaine Addiction

What makes teen crack cocaine addiction and cocaine addiction so dangerous? In addition to being one of the most addictive drugs in the world, all forms of cocaine are extremely volatile. There are additives used to cut pure cocaine to increase profits for dealers, and these additives can be just as toxic as the drug itself. Additionally, because there are no standards for production of the drug, users never know exactly what they are taking or in what amounts, which also increases the chance of overdose Õ¢__Î_ÑÒ the Õ¢__ÎÅ_normalÕ¢__Îëù amount from a bag purchased this week may have more cocaine in it than the same amount of the drug taken from a bag purchased last week.

Even a minimal amount of cocaine taken on a regular basis can ultimately lead to addiction, which in turn can mean a number of serious health problems. Some of these health issues can be treated while others will be permanent no matter what.

The social, emotional and personal effects of cocaine and crack addiction are almost too numerous to count. Teens can lose ground at school, find it impossible to get or maintain a job after school, avoid getting involved in stimulating afterschool activities, lose contact with positive peers, and develop problems interacting with family members at home. As crack and cocaine addiction begins to define them, they may lose themselves, their self-esteem and their hope for the future as they get pulled more deeply into the world of drug abuse and addiction.

It is for all these reasons that parents are encouraged to take action immediately if they find that their teen is abusing crack or cocaine.

The Effects on the Brain

Strong stimulants, both cocaine and crack have a direct and immediate impact on the brain, especially when used by teenagers who are actively going through a time of heightened brain, cognitive and emotional development. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), cocaine and crack provides abusers of the drug with a high by increasing the levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter released in the brain that is connected to the experience of pleasure and reward. When this chemical is released by natural means, it is usually shut off when it is recycled back into the brain cell that released it. This process does not happen when the chemical is released by cocaine or crack abuse. The drug blocks the reabsorption of dopamine back into the brain which causes large amounts of the pleasure chemical to build up, making the user feel high or euphoric as a result.

When this happens repeatedly (i.e., when users of crack and cocaine continue to abuse the drug daily or multiple times per week), long-term changes to the brain’s structure can occur. This is an even bigger risk for teens whose brains are developing and growing at a rapid pace during this period. Addiction is a huge risk due to these changes. Another is the inability to feel real pleasure naturally after cocaine or crack abuse and addiction. No matter which drug is abused, parents will notice their teens becoming more morose when they are not under the influence of cocaine or crack and highly stimulated, chatty and euphoric when they are under the influence.

The Effects on the Body

A teen’s body suffers just as many negative effects from cocaine abuse and crack abuse as does the brain. Elevated heart rate, blood pressure and temperature are common, as are dilated pupils and constricted blood vessels. This can result in headache and gastrointestinal illnesses like cramping, nausea and vomiting. Malnutrition is another major effect on the body, due to the decrease in appetite caused by the drug.

According to NIDA, the method of ingestion can mean different sets of effects on the body. Snorting cocaine can mean a host of nasal issues including nosebleeds, lost sense of smell, runny nose, chronic sore throat, hoarseness and problems with swallowing. Injecting cocaine can mean a higher chance of contracting blood borne diseases like HIV and hepatitis C. Smoking crack and cocaine can mean respiratory issues as well as mouth, throat and esophageal problems. All methods of ingestion can lead to irritability, restlessness, paranoid psychosis, cardiovascular emergencies and sudden death due to overdose.

Cocaethylene and Teens

According to a study published on the pharmacology of cocaethylene in the journal, Drug and Alcohol Dependence 72(2):169-182, 2003, the use of more than one drug is common, especially among teenagers. Alcohol and marijuana especially are often combined with other drugs of abuse. When cocaine is combined with alcohol, it is particularly problematic; the two drugs together combine within the system to create a chemical called cocaethylene. This substance increases the effects of cocaine and is linked to higher instances of sudden death than either alcohol or cocaine alone and has also been shown to create future liver and heart problems Õ¢__Î_ÑÒ long after the patient has stopped abusing cocaine or combining the drug with alcohol.

Cocaine Addiction and Transmissible Diseases

The National Institutes of Health report that those who abuse cocaine are more prone to transmissible diseases like HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Sharing drug paraphernalia including pipes and needles with those who are infected with these diseases, viral infections or bacterial infections can increase your teen’s chances of contracting these illnesses. Risky behavior like unprotected sex are also vehicles of transmission when teens and cocaine or crack are mixed.

An equal problem for both men and women, according to NIH, studies show that teens who abuse cocaine are just as likely to contract HIV whether or not they use needles as their preferred method of ingestion. However, teens who use needles expose themselves to risk the very first time they shoot cocaine and after two years of continual abuse of the drug, about 40 percent of patients have been exposed to hepatitis C. After five years of needle use, patients have increased their risk of contracting hepatitis C by 50 to 80 percent.

Unfortunately, there are no vaccines to prevent your teen from contracting HIV or hepatitis C. The best method of prevention is cocaine addiction treatment when that is the underlying risk factor.

Teen Rehab Options

There are a variety of teen cocaine rehab options available to parents who are concerned about their teen’s cocaine and crack addiction. The many options vary in price and appropriateness, and the right choice is determined based on the specific needs of each patient, according to their drug history and mental health issues. Residential treatment, outpatient centers, counseling, therapy and support groups are all excellent options, and in combination, they have been proven effective in helping teens to fight cocaine addiction relapse. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) specifically has been proven extremely effective in the treatment of cocaine addiction and in helping teens to avoid relapse after treatment.

 

There are currently no vaccines or medications approved for the treatment of cocaine addiction, but there a number of medications currently being studied for their validity in crack and cocaine abuse treatment, according to ClinicalTrials.gov, including Aripiprazole, Modafinil, Naltrexone, Topiramate, Levodopa/Carbidopa, Dextro amphetamine sulfate and more.

Treatment at Newport Academy

At Newport Academy, we provide comprehensive care that includes a variety of therapies, medication if necessary, and care and treatment for any co-occurring mental health issues. Academic support and family therapy are two instrumental parts of our treatment as well as group therapy, personal therapy and experiential therapy options. Parents are encouraged to take an active role in their teen’s treatment, taking part in educational workshops and parent support groups to maintain their own mental health and ensure that they are as supportive as possible of their teen’s recovery. Learning as much as possible about your teen’s addiction and staying up to date on his or her progress throughout the treatment program will help you to avoid enabling your teen’s addiction and instead help them to avoid relapse.

Contact us today to learn more and to help your teen begin the process of healing. Call now.