Cocaine addiction remains a major problem worldwide. According to United Nations experts, about 2.2 crore people have consumed this drug in the year 2021. Meanwhile, Brazilian scientists have prepared a vaccine which is claimed to prevent the effects of cocaine from reaching the brain. let’s find out.
Cocaine use has increased significantly in the world. United Nations experts believe that about 22 million people consumed this drug in 2021. You will be surprised to know that this number is more than the population of New York. Let us tell you, researchers in Brazil have tested cocaine vaccine to save people from addiction and claim that it will not only help the youth stay away from addiction but will also not look at drugs again. Let’s find out.
Vaccine will prevent drug abuse
Cocaine is the second most common street drug in Europe after cannabis. It is extracted from coca leaves and is usually inhaled as a powder. Let us tell you that addiction occurs very fast and due to this, any part of the body can get damaged forever.
Cocaine pushes the body to its maximum limits. This is why running a marathon has a physical effect. If a person wants to get rid of it, he has to face a lot of physical and mental stress. Meanwhile, Brazilian researchers hope that the vaccine may help people suffering from cocaine addiction. This vaccine will prevent people from consuming drugs and will also work to reduce the risk of addiction.
Cocaine has this effect on the body and mind
When cocaine is snorted or smoked through a pipe, the substance travels rapidly through the bloodstream to the brain. There the drug stimulates the body to release a variety of messenger substances, including dopamine. Let us tell you that due to the consumption of cocaine, the body becomes more active, the heart pumps at full capacity, the arteries become narrower. Feels less hungry and thirsty. Not only this, if the condition worsens, the heartbeat may also stop.
How long does the effect of cocaine last?
The peak effect occurs between five and thirty minutes after cocaine consumption. It feels as if all the problems have gone away, said Hanspeter Eckert, a physician at the Berlin Drug Therapy Association. Then the brain starts getting addicted to it.
Danger of overdose from cocaine vaccine
People taking the cocaine vaccine may also be at increased risk of taking a cocaine overdose. Scientists believe that if you consume drugs and do not enjoy it as much as before, then you may take an overdose. Marika Ferri, associated with the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction, makes it clear that this takes time. The vaccine may prove beneficial for those whose treatment is ongoing. This will not be of any benefit to those people who are not taking any kind of counseling or treatment to give up this addiction.
Vaccine trial successful on rats
Brazilian researchers believe that the vaccine they have created should induce the body to produce antibodies that will stick to cocaine when it is used. In such a situation, the elements responsible for this intoxication are not able to reach the brain through blood. According to Frederico Garcia, a researcher and scientist at Brazil’s Federal University of Minas Gerais, the vaccine trial on rats has been successful, and there is full hope that it will be successful on humans too. If this is possible, it will be the world’s first anti-cocaine vaccine.
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