addition of cane sugar syrup, and citric acid while the 8.46 mg of the drug per ounce remained constant. Tis innovative idea birthed Coca-Cola, the world’s most popular and highest-selling soſt drink in history. Increased popularity and acceptance
of drug containing consumables led to an estimated 200,000 people addicted to the mystery drug in the early 1900s. Despite passing the Harrison Narcotics Act by Congress in 1914, the late 1970s brought about the emergence of certain recreational drugs that were prohibited in the U.S. In particular, one of the outlawed substances developed into the drug of choice for the rich and elite. Tis powerful stimulant caused intense euphoric effects that locked users into a cyclic patern of drug abuse and even death. Te 1980s was highlighted by increased incarceration in the U.S. prison system when lawmakers passed stern sentencing laws in response to drug induced deaths. High addiction rates are due to the psychoactive characteristics of the drug and are only rivaled by methamphetamine, which has a similar mode of action. Found commonly as either a white crystalline powder or freebase (waxy white yellowish rocks), this drug can be taken orally, inhaled, smoked and injected. Te drug is a tropane alkaloid that directly affects the central nervous system via the blood brain barrier due to a highly hydrophilic and lipophilic nature. Upon entry, the drug plays a significant role in the neurobiology of addiction by impacting the pleasure reward pathway of the brain controlled by the dopaminergic mesolimbic system. Tis occurs by the drug directly augmenting levels of the neurotransmiter dopamine and the inhibition of the normal recycling of the chemical message back into neurons. Subsequently the level of dopamine increases and causes an amplification of signal, thereby producing the euphoric effect that supports drug abuse behavior. Additionally, this behavior is compounded by users needing to replicate the immediate intense high that lasts an estimated 5-30 minutes. Prolonged use
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Fortunately, these events led to... replacing alcohol with soda water, the addition of cane sugar syrup, and citric acid... This innovative idea birthed Coca-Cola, the world’s most popular and highest-selling soft drink in history.
who abuse this drug. Tis drug, also termed methylbenzoylecgonine, is an ester of benzoic acid and methylecgonine and is structurally susceptible to hydrolysis. Once internalized, the drug is metabolized mainly by the liver into predominantly benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester and both metabolites are found in varying concentrations in urine, blood, sweat and hair. Benzoylecgonine is the most common metabolite targeted by immunoassays in urine drug testing with an estimated half-life of 7.5 hours. However, the parent drug (half-life of 1.5 hours), ecgonine (half-life of 3.6 hours), and other generated metabolites can also be targeted when assaying other matrices in non-regulated testing. When users ingest both this drug and alcohol, liver esterases cause the formation of a substance that is both active and cardiotoxic—cocaethylene. In the 1970s and 80s, a person may have
referred to this month’s drug as girlfriend or king’s habit. Blow, white, and powder are common street names used today. Te name of this drug is derived from coca (leaves) and the suffix “-ine” that is used in the naming of other alkaloids. So what is it? Te indigenous people are the Incas.
can cause a myriad of effects including cardiac arrhythmia, stroke, lung damage, sexual dysfunction and even death. Te National Institute of Drug Abuse
reported an increased prevalence of this month’s mystery drug among ages 12 and older in 2013 and a 29 percent increase in the number of overdose-related deaths with the use of this drug from 2001 to 2013 in the U.S. Chronic abusers sparsely engage in proper social interactions because it is less rewarding and have low productivity in the workplace due to reduced morale, increased absenteeism and a greater number of work-related accidents. Even though this drug is used as a topical local anesthetic in some healthcare practices, there remains a need for adequate drug testing for those
Erythroxylum coca is the name of this plant and the naturally occurring potent stimulant is cocaine.
Rodi Predescu, MD is an Operations Director at Quest Diagnostics. She serves as the Scientific Director and responsible person for the Forensic Toxicology
Laboratory in West Hills, California. Dr. Predescu has worked in the field of toxicology since 1987. She earned her medical degree from the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, Romania. She also serves as a National Laboratory Certification Program (NLCP) and College of American Pathologists (CAP) Inspector.
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