This white powder, made from the leaves of the cocoa bush, was medically intended as an anesthetic. At first, cocaine acts as a stimulant to the central nervous system and feels like one is receiving a boost of energy. People get inflated feelings of self-confidence and alertness from cocaine, but overdoses can cause hallucinations, convulsions, ulcerations, and respiratory failure or death. Initial effects are most often replaced by depression, weakness and restlessness.
Continued use can cause erratic behavior and severe panic attacks followed by depression.
Cocaine can become addictive. Danger varies over time according to dosage, form, and method by which it is taken. Chemical content may also be unpredictable, as with all illegal and unmonitored substances. Possession of cocaine is illegal under the Controlled Substances Law of New Mexico. For information on eligibility for services at the UNM Student Health Center, please see General Information .