Debunked: What not to believe when it comes to cocaine and Alzheimers

When we hear the term “drugs”, it would be fair to say that some classic definitions enter our head. Cocaine certainly falls into this category, and it means that it’s easy to find out pretty much anything you need to about this particular drug.

At the same time, perhaps through the power of the internet, not everything you read about cocaine is necessarily true. This is something that we will highlight through today’s article, which takes a look at some of the key misconceptions that are often made when it comes to this drug.

Myth #1: It’s just a myth that Coca Cola ever contained cocaine

Let’s start with a myth about a myth, so to speak. There is a lot in the news about the links between cocaine and Coca Cola, with the sheer similarities between the two names leading many to believe that the famous beverage does, or did, contain this drug.

Clearly, this is something that doesn’t happen nowadays, but let’s set the record straight historically. Coca Cola was created in 1886 and up until around 1929, it did contain extracts of cocaine. There are still some suggestions that the famous, secret recipe may still include coca-leaf extract (in the non-narcotic form, we should add), as Coca Cola was still importing coca leaves from South America in the 1980s.

Myth #2: Powdered cocaine and crack cocaine are different

Well, in some ways they are different, but by and large they are the same drug. This is something that can be difficult to get your head around, particularly as crack cocaine has historically been associated with worse sentencing.

However, if you were to look at the two as chemical entities, they are almost identical.

Myth #3: You won’t become addicted to cocaine

In short, you will. Granted, at least in comparison to other drugs, cocaine isn’t quite as addictive. Nevertheless, it’s still up there and the more someone starts to rely on it, the further their addiction goes.

One of the big problems with cocaine is that there’s no treatment for those people who do develop a dependence on it. For example, in the case of an addiction to heroin, people can turn to methadone to help them overcome the addiction. There isn’t anything that can work in this regard for cocaine, which can make the drug a little more complex than others around.

Myth #4: There’s no cocaine hangover

While alcohol and some drugs are associated with hangovers, many believe that the same doesn’t occur with cocaine.

Unfortunately, it still does, and it tends to come in the form of fatigue and depression. Users often feel a short-term crash immediately after their high, and this can be far worse than any traditional hangover.

There are of course longer-term “hangovers” associated with the drug, ranging from weight loss right the way through to hallucinations. In short, this isn’t a simple substitute for alcohol and other highs that we know of.