People with cocaine addiction introduce cocaine into the body through many routes, such as being rubbed into the mucous tissues of the body, inhaled by smoking or snorting, injected into their veins, or chewing the cocoa leaves to release the active substances into the membranes of the mouth and throat.
Cocaine is a fat-soluble molecule that passes quickly through the cell membranes into the brain and causes a buildup of dopamine. These high levels of dopamine stimulate the nerve cells and cause a feeling of euphoria.
Since Cocaine is a fat-soluble compound, the body “pushes” the drug into the fat tissue where it can be stored away from the blood stream, but is later released in measured doses that the liver and kidneys can metabolize and expel. This process causes the cocaine user to have cocaine in his blood and brain for months and even years after he has quit using the substance. Having cocaine in the blood stream causes the user to crave the drug long after it was originally used and is the one major reasons why so many cocaine drug rehabilitation centers are not successful in getting long-term success from their graduates. These reoccurring urges for cocaine is one of the reasons why many people purport that addiction is a chronic and progressive disease. However, some drug rehab centers address this toxicity of the body and these centers have outcomes far higher than those drug rehab treatment centers that justify this physical phenomenon as part of the addiction disease.
The euphoric effects of cocaine can be felt in literally seconds and provide a dramatic high that last three to five minutes. This is seen most dramatically with crack cocaine. A craving for more of the same follows immediately after the first rush is tapering down. This rush is the driving force in all addictions, but it becomes a psychotic compulsion when dealing with cocaine and especially crack cocaine.