Cocaine in Nebraska
Cocaine is a natural substance found in the leaves of the South American shrub, Erythroxylon coca. When taken, it produces a sense of exhilaration and a high that makes a person feel they are capable of anything. The bang from cocaine is most intense with its first use. The user then finds himself chasing an ever endless unachievable high.
Cocaine abuse and addiction continues to be a problem that plagues our nation, particularly among young people. From 1965 to 1967, only 0.1 percent of youths had ever used cocaine, but rates rose throughout the 1970s and 1980s, reaching 2.2 percent in 1987. After a brief decline, lifetime rates peaked at 2.7 percent in 2002. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
The 2005 Monitoring the Future Study by the Office of National Drug Control Policy reported the following percentages for lifetime use of cocaine:
- 3.7% of eighth graders
- 5.2% of tenth graders
- 8.0% of twelfth graders
In Nebraska 7.5 percentage of middle and high school students reported using a form of cocaine, including powder, crack or freebase one or more times during their life. Furthermore, 3.3 percent of the same set of students reported using one or more forms of cocaine one or more times during the past thirty days.
Breaking the cocaine habit is not easy and length of treatment will vary from person to person. Even though the user resists the cravings will persist.
