COCAINE. It's a Serious Problem Drug, Too

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The opioid epidemic is certainly terrible. Even as we're plumbing the depths of it, we should remember that there are other terrible drugs out there killing people and making lives worse. Cocaine is a big problem as well, and it kills a lot of people. Especially among African Americans.
This episode was adapted from a column Austin Frakt wrote for the Upshot. Links to sources can be found there: www.nytimes.co...
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[@Grassy_Gnoll]

I do cocaine. I become God. What's the problem?

[@Thor69207]

Are you still alive?

[@karlostjuroukei1802]

0:11 "cocaine is the number 2 killer" Me: its the poop killer?

[@ryfyyt171]

Goty

[@karlostjuroukei1802]

BlueSilverEyeYT thanks for the reply lol- :)

[@danieljensen2626]

BRB, moving to Colombia to try to qualify for getting paid to not grow coca...

[@HypermarketCommodity]

Daniel Jensen i think you will have same problems with the local "unions"...

[@malvinescott6031]

Our Coke is of top quality and 98.20% purity. You can add to our business whatsapp to buy at affordable price. [phone]

[@jimmyc6686]

@@malvinescott6031 hook me up

[@Guldaar]

Cocaine is a hell of a drug. -Rick James

[@ScholarlyPotato]

I came here just for this. Thank you sir.

[@Paljk299]

Ha beat me to it!

[@TokenBlackman7]

@Saelaniify - Fuck yo' couch, nigga!

[@renel8964]

TokenBlackman7 ha beat me to that one, ni**a

[@malvinescott6031]

@@ScholarlyPotato Our Coke is of top quality and 98.20% purity. You can add to our business whatsapp to buy at affordable price. [phone]

[@verdatum]

I've been actively fighting the opioid epidemic as a former pharmacy technician who saw what it did to people. I had no idea that this cocaine surge had happened. This is very eye opening, thank you. I hope this gets better. The death toll is infuriating.

[@VanBurenOfficial]

I'm a believer that psychedelics are worthwhile for many, but I'm amazed at how many young people get hooked on cocaine, its not like a secret that its addictive and detrimental to your health, to say nothing of the ethical implications of the production and smuggling of it, and the fact that it's stupidly expensive.

[@Udinanon]

coke isn't a psychedelic tho, it's a strong stimulant Also there are probably a lot of cultural, social and economical elements in tne development of addiction to these drugs, mixed with social pressure, availability and normalization of consumption

[@varaad4100]

I know bro but it's so addictive. Started at 15, starting to have some problem at only 19 i bloody do it .. every young ppl do it man

[@milesgwood7959]

So glad you mentioned harm reduction and contingency management! Glad to hear that it isn't just drug policy circles that know the terms and ideas!

[@crit-ic]

Totally! It's extremely important to recognize not only the opioid toxidrome, but also the sympathomimetic toxidrome. I have a few vids on this :)

[@themastermason1]

But where else will Katie Marovitch get comedic inspiration?

[@ethanmye-rs]

Wait a second, vaccines for drug addiction? Can we get an episode about that?

[@kingvalmo6897]

I troubled with a slight addiction at 18 now i stopped Buying it and stopped taking it daily but somehow once everyweek i manage to find myself in a situation like at a party or just with some friends where Someone offers me a line, Everyweek!!!! I dont complain about it tho

[@mademan543]

If you wanna hang out you gotta take her out

[@tempstation810]

If only it weren't literally more expensive than gold by weight.

[@gummy5862]

I mean that makes sense since a very small amount of it is all it takes to be effective.

[@ems7623]

As someone with a legitimate prescription for stimulants, I would just add that over the past several years, it has become more and more difficult to access and afford our prescriptions. Not only has the cost climbed somewhat, but god forbid you need to move to a new city and get new doctors and pharmacists. Increasingly, we get treated with suspicion just for needing a medication in a class of drugs that people abuse.

[@firefox5926]

0:28 hmm this episode expired last year ... is it still safe to consume ? :P

[@ilearnedsomethingnewtoday6193]

This is slightly misleading. The rise in cocaine overdose deaths is mainly attributable to the much cheaper drug fentanyl being used to cut cocaine for profit. Still a problem

[@DrSpooglemon]

You're thinking of heroin. Fentanyl is used to cut heroin.

[@professerjeeves]

Legalization, through a pharmacy to control dosing and quantites allowed.

[@varaad4100]

Lol u obviously never did coke ,when im high at 12:00AM and want some try to say to me no to know what's gon happen

[@gregpatton]

Stripes and plaid, why?

[@abramthiessen8749]

"...but injecting cocaine is uncommon, [But] having fewer solutions doesn't mean we can't do anything." Unintentional pun?

[@bib3252]

Theres not enough proffesional safe practice talks rather than just saying NO. people will use regardless misuse is the issue imo

[@bib3252]

"Injection is uncommon" yeah you're out of touch..

[@ammarali4870]

My friend just died a week ago and let me tell u it’s not fukn worth the drug . I’m trying my best to stop it but I did have one today but I’m trying my best

[@unfolow4443]

Smokimg Weed after cocain thats combinaton is dangerous,even alcolall this shit of face masks(for litl period) drugs becomes tour ALL ON THE WORLD...TAKE ISY ISYY.BY

[@RobotronSage]

Try getting your hands on some DMT or mushrooms

[@gunnamac132]

Dam i need to stop doing coke

[@10aDowningStreet]

and here I am, with my pile of cocaine

[@captainfalcon8615]

7.6 per 100,000 doesn't seem like alot..

[@cibdizzy]

Good or bad. Drug manufacturing and drug use create a lot of jobs . From the medical field to the policing to the clubs and so on. Drugs will be around for ever. U choose if u do them or not. If u must choose. Choose wisely

[@WOLFIEHUSTLE]

Facts

[@nygreenguy]

How do you make a vaccine for drug addiction?

[@Croz89]

You could create something that reduces or eliminates the addictive properties of the substance, and/or prevents the the user from getting "high". This could still mean the drugs work for things like pain reduction, but there is no longer any pleasure or mental reward from taking it.

[@shoutitallloud]

Cocaine or apmhetamine? What's better?

[@jeffreywilkey7054]

Adderall 30’s

[@RobotronSage]

That's basically the same thing as asking wether horse shit or cow shit is better. At the end of the day they're both shit

[@varaad4100]

@@RobotronSage yeah but no it's not that simple

[@DrSpooglemon]

@@RobotronSage The stuff YOU get is shit. My stuff is awesome!!

[@SameAsAnyOtherStranger]

My lesson about how bureaucracy can fail for today- farmers in Columbia started to grow coca so they could get paid to stop growing it. Not surprising though. The U.S. has used Columbia as a hub for illicit activity forever. Paying farmers for anything cocaine related would just be another way to dead end tax payer money to deprive social programs with added "benefit" of incapacitating neighborhoods in the U.S. while increasing criminal activity.

[@KM-ut7iu]

Its weird when i was usin coke everyday all day i did so much fucked shit to get it i was so focused on gettin it then i got off it for a month and now i can use it every once in a while and i don get hooked. Honestly i dont even like it that much anymore

[@mikewazowskisas1489]

Coke isnt even the best drug.

[@alexpratt99]

I am a recovering addict opiates dope that was my think but iv done mountains of blow and never got addicted while you are on it you want more but after you come down you're fine I mean iv done coke steady for days weeks never had an issue

[@tucker12435]

I'd lock myself in my house and go on coke binges for a weekend

[@YOUNGSTARz93]

That is what i been saying, cocaine is only addictive when you doing it, next day feeling like crap you don’t even want anything to do anything with it

[@pikminlord343]

Another great video

[@Boonecountychick]

Disappointed to see this video portray changes to the aca as a bad thing. First, adding a work requirement is a provision that is likely to help substance abusers. Working and staying busy is part of most relapse prevention plans. Second, this video talks about access to treatment but doesn't mention the free drugs many addicted individuals enjoy (to their detriment) through the medicaid program that feeds addiction.

[@RhizometricReality]

Legalize and regulate all drugs to be safe, and the dangerous ones only administered in clinics/

[@Cheezycheezball]

Coke is probably fine if had in moderation Only problem is the high lasts for 15 minutes, and then youre greeted with the mother of all comedowns, and you know what cures a cocaine comedown? Cocaine. Drug dependencyyyyyyyy

[@jamillie87]

ImJoosh agreed this has to be the worse comedown and fastest wearoff but when it hits it’s like getting that bouncy star from super Mario invincible unlike any other drug!!!

[@tchha]

what about cigarrets? alcohol? please can someone give me this data?

[@floortjevandijk879]

But people use drugs moore than sigarettes or alcohol. Ya seeing people on the terrace drinkin alcohol or smokin, bu there are more people who die from drugs. I saw a comment under this video about a persons friend who have died of drugs.

[@tchha]

@@floortjevandijk879 car accidents related to alcohol or cancers cause by cigarrets or just people being stupid or violent bc of alcohol, that's what im asking for

[@floortjevandijk879]

@@tchhaive also heard of a friend that using a car while using drugs causes the same accidents. So not only alcohol or sigarettes. www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving

[@NatTuck]

Is there any evidence that legal cocaine would be a problem? Wouldn't reliable doses significantly reduce overdoses?

[@thatjillgirl]

"Is there any evidence that legal cocaine would be a problem?" You mean besides the potentially serious side effects? Cause I would not trust the general public to use cocaine in safe amounts or to know their own physiological risks.

[@danieljensen2626]

thatjillgirl I mean dosing would be a lot easier if the strength was strictly regulated and doses were individually packaged. I'm not sure how much the user base would really change anyway, but it would certainly be a lot safer for current users.

[@thatjillgirl]

The doses would only be strictly regulated if it were being used for medical purposes only (which, it *is* currently used for some limited medical purposes already). Or perhaps if you had some kind of place where you could go use cocaine, but you were only allowed to purchase a certain amount within a certain period of time, and you couldn't take any outside of the facility. Not sure how that would possibly be enforced, and such a place would get robbed all the time. If it were situation where you could just buy it over the counter, again, I do not trust the general public to use the product according to the recommended doses.

[@danieljensen2626]

thatjillgirl I just mean that each dose would be labeled as a certain number of milligrams so you know exactly how much you're getting. Unlike the current situation where you just eyeball an amount but you don't actually know the concentration so you may be getting a ton or you may be getting almost nothing. Are people still gonna fuck it up? Yeah, people overdose on alcohol which is well regulated. Hell, some people even drink so much water they almost die. But at least the information is there if people want to actually keep track of how much they're taking.

[@thatjillgirl]

Daniel Jensen Ehhhhh....knowing the dose is certainly helpful for some more responsible users, but when you work in pharmacy you hear way too many stories about people who treat doses like vague guidelines. People sometimes are just not good judges of how their body will respond to an increasing dose, and this especially true when people are trying to get high.

[@sirnoname6943]

Cigarettes are more dangerous than coke so

[@Chris.international724]

Me high asf after 3 grams watching this

[@aquietdarkness]

But have you heard about marijuana? That shit is calming people down. Fuck. It's out of control!

[@RobotronSage]

ikr. Crack users think they're a tier higher than stoners because they feel like they've outgrown weed but excuse me whilst i laugh in psilocybin and DMT

[@TokenBlackman7]

What did the five fingers say to the face!?

[@zroysum]

Even with the help of buprenorphine opiate withdrawal is still a lot worse than cocaine withdrawal and requires a lot more will-power to deal with. Methadone may help some with quality of life but on some basic level is analagous with continuing the "bad" opiate. In Switzerland they have heroin as an option for treating heroin addiction and it works. A good regulatory system for legal cocaine would be the best for everyone. It could be cheap enough to not bankrupt it's users but expensive enough that it doesn't make it more tempting to start via a flat tax.

[@RxSlate]

Proper education is probably more important to begin with. Unlike cannabis, cocaine can cause serious bodily harm. Alcohol is arguably safer than cocaine but even with education and accesible advice from experienced drinkers, it still has caused way too many deaths directly (respiratory depression, liver damage) and even more deaths indirectly (drunk driving, reckless behavior, etc). Cocaine is proven to be cardiotoxic in even moderate doses. So even responsible use can be damaging to the body in ways that alcohol and opioids are considered safe. Just my two cents

[@DrSpooglemon]

No one talks about angel dust any more. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@gone8863]

Just legalize it

[@RobotronSage]

No

[@TheFronkinator]

How do people die from cocaine? Asking for a friend

[@mollymacdonald1983]

i think from either an overdose or heart attacks/seizures (but they may be a result of the overdose idk)

[@the93vigor41]

You can get it anywhere in my town 😆

[@MR-RUBIX9119]

Same 😂

[@zakkattakkable]

Does this include crack?

[@AvgJane19]

Yes

[@lukecarlin9946]

Come on don't ruin cocaine for me

[@Pierofelizzola]

Yea you forgot to say that alcohol is worse then cocaine come on be honest

[@HypermarketCommodity]

Legalize taxes and regulations thise is the only way or take the next 50 years of starvation, poverty, mindless age hooked crucks and a war that is going fucking great.

[@jeaton8023]

Charlie is a hell of a drug

[@TheIdealGasLaw]

If you think cocaine is a problem... youve never done COCAINE! :D

[@mariamlutakome6406]

Give me five

[@KM-ut7iu]

I have alot of it and i became a peice of shit and only cared bout gettin more. Its weird cuz i was in such like a tunnel vision to get more coke but it didnt do much for me anymore idk why i did it i jus loved snortin it. But i stopped for a bit cuz rehab then i got out and had no problem with coke its not like other drugs with me like i can do it every once in a while now most people get hooked on a drug and quit and try it one more time and get hooked again but wit me an coke its different i just needed a break off of it to realize what i was doin

[@floortjevandijk879]

Bro, did you know that it can make people die..

[@deweyyocum9057]

@@mariamlutakome6406 Our Coke is of top quality and 98.20% purity. You can add to our business whatsapp to buy at affordable price. [phone]

[@varaad4100]

Ahahahahahaha😂😂😂😂😂

[@litgaming8220]

Why tf they say it’s the #2 most dangerous drug to African Americans I do coke and I’m white😂

[@carrie_lol]

Perverse incentives...

[@machib77]

>trying to do some research to try to persuade my friend to stop doing cocaine DID YOU KNOW DRUMPHF IS REPEALING THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE???!!!!!

[@aigledemasyaf]

I wonder if the opioid epidemic became a thing because it started affecting rich white people in a negative way, since cocaine has been a serious issue but mostly for black males (so therefore it’s “not an issue”).

[@jnzkngs]

The social acceptance of getting high from "safer" sources can't be discounted as part of the reason people are willing to use more dangerous means to get high.

[@DrSpooglemon]

Are you trying to say that decriminalization of softer drugs leads to people taking harder drugs?

[@RandallStephens397]

that unilateral lip curl is super distracting

[@HypermarketCommodity]

Clean fishscale for every one. Illegal or legal i don't care i keep smoken till i die.

[@Ragatokk]

This episode sounded racist, but we need to realize people are different and so are races.

[@paulpeterson4216]

Like many drugs, heroin and opiods being a clear exception, the problem with cocaine stems more from its being illegal than from its being cocaine. Legalize it, regulate it, tax it, use the tax revenue to provide treatment for addiction and cocaine overdose deaths will largely disappear the same way that alcohol poisoning deaths are extremely rare.

[@thatjillgirl]

I'm pretty sure that's a fast way to have a lot more people wind up in the ER with heart problems.

[@Sheeshening]

most opioids are way safer than coke

[@thatjillgirl]

Well that would depend entirely on the opioid in question and how you're using it.

[@AvgJane19]

thatjillgirl thing is, just because something is legal doesn't mean more people will do it, particularly in a way that will result in overdose/ death. For instance, when i go to the store i don't buy say cookies because I know they're bad for my health.

[@thatjillgirl]

Cookies also don't get you high though (assuming they are not drugged). There's a reason that medications with a high abuse potential don't get over the counter approval. When people are looking to get high, they don't always make responsible decisions. Now if abuse doesn't have a ton of negative health effects associated with it or if they are relatively manageable risks, that's one thing. But cocaine can be really hard on the heart, even used infrequently.

[@Pierofelizzola]

Ok opioid addiction with what soboxone.....something worse that you can withdraw for months and upto a yr.

[@RxSlate]

There are two types of treatments for opioid addiction: Antagonist therapy or Maintenance therapy. Maintenance therapy is great for people who have extremely strong emotional and psychological problems that could not otherwise handle detox and withdrawal without serious potential harm to themselves or others. It is also a strategy that works well for people who cannot afford to miss work for any period of time or needs to take care of someone (child, parent, disabled relative). The first priority is getting the patient to stop using heroin. The second is to slowly taper dosage so the intensity of the withdrawal is more manageable and wont cause a relapse. The second therapy is using naloxone or naltrexone to prevent any opiates from getting someone high. It can only be used after detox since it causes immediate withdrawal in active opioid users. This is the best treatment because it prevents a relapse but withdrawal can be a horrendous experience. It cannot kill you but the agony can cause suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It is best to not become dependent on opioids from the start. You live and learn

[@elsa9532]

I really like these videos for their content, however sometimes I find them hard to watch just because of the slight 'telling off' tone of the videos? not sure if this is just me

[@Nouvellecosse]

Yeah I've always found his speech patterns in the videos very annoying. Sort of gives a "loudmouth ignoramus" type vibe even though he's obviously very smart. I think it's just a failed attempt to make the videos seem more engaging by speaking more emphatically.

[@TPHRyan]

I don't think it's failed. I think he gives a good blunt tone that gives off the impression "no this is not bullshit, this is a real problem"

[@ColoringKaria]

considering all the problems within the medical world not enough people are being told off who need. people are too damn fragile people are dying from cocaine and opioids and yall whining about how unhappy he sounds about it?!??!

[@kateri17]

agree.

[@Nouvellecosse]

It has nothing to do with being "fragile" or "unhappy". We simply don't think the video style/presentation is as effective as it otherwise could be and are making suggestions on how to improve. If the video topics are communicating something important, then that's makes it MORE important that they communicate effectively and appeal to a wide audience rather than less.

[@iamtristladin]

It's nooooot that bad

[@floortjevandijk879]

People are dying of it...

[@desertfalcon2786]

Why is this about black men !?

[@mikewazowskisas1489]

President Duterte of the Philippines knows how to solve these problems

[@Jumptohistory]

by slaughtering suspicious people...

[@qb4428]

I honestly don't know why people even start cocaine in the first place. Seriously, do they seriously not know the harms by now?

[@HypermarketCommodity]

Q B me neither if i get the choice agine i would take the weed every time.

[@holypicklesmofo]

I've never and will never try it but have had friends try it. They usually reguarly abuse Adderall and see it as an adderall like party drug. It's horrible but once your perspective shifts it's hard to get it back.

[@robertjarman3703]

Q B M The ones who get addicted to it are often in poor situations where you feel like its quite likely that you'll die the next day or be arrested for a life without parole sentence or are rich and think you're at the top of the world. Other demographics get caught up in it too, but these are the biggest demographics. Plus, the US uses a lot more cocaine than most, about 10% has tried it and about 1% uses it on a least a monthly basis. Cocaine isn't expensive to make in legal markets, it's like sand. Most drugs are actually, alcohol is worth something like at most a dollar per litre before marketing, markups, bar markups, advertising and taxes, much the same with cigarettes. But the insane price of cocaine leaves many with little money very quickly and especially since fentanyl has been infecting the drug market, many have been killed in overdoses and infections. Prohibition is behind the root problems of many drugs being AD dangerous as they are. Legal drugs won't be magically safe, but large parts of the societal harm is the Law.

[@kateri17]

if you're high on another drug (or drunk) it can very very easy to be convinced to try cocaine, and then you're hooked. I know everyone whines about how weed is not a gateway drug but it can be when your inhibitions are gone due to being under the influence. Anyone who has dealt with drug dealers knows they *very frequently* use this tactic to get customers to try their more expensive wares.

[@Vezerai]

You dont really need to treat cocaine addiction... Instead you should focus on finding out why people do cocaine in the first place. Are they bored? Do they need extra energy? Do they have a job or do they just sit at home and do cocaine? 90% of people should be able to quit cocaine if they want to quit cocaine.

[@plowed4weeks]

LOL you have obviously never done coke. I don't even particularly like the stuff but after doing it just a handful of times petrol doesn't smell like petrol anymore, it smells like cocaine. It has a weird way of gripping you. Some people absolutely love it but I always thought it was overrated and still do. Yet I would still like a line and get that taste in my nose again. It's weird because I don't want to do it but yet I do. That's what addiction is

[@RedScaledKnight1]

preach brother.

[@Vezerai]

But i have done coke...

[@RedScaledKnight1]

yet display an ignorance of physical dependency and the unique hell a person can become trapped in when they spend every waking moment in conflict with themselves, requiring a hit and always having to combat that with the active mind. we can only attend to so many things in this way and being continuously inundated from within by drug seeking impulses can drive you crazy

[@plowed4weeks]

+Vezerai You probably haven't done good coke then. Either way it totally depends on the person but drugs like cocaine are referred to as highly addictive for a reason.

[@helensmith7596]

Why are you collaborating black people only?

[@corywilmoth4873]

Collaborating?

[@helensmith7596]

@@corywilmoth4873 must have been my spellcheck. Soz

[@crownedlegendzmuzik]

I Wanna Snort A Rail Now!

[@RobotronSage]

That's sad

[@soonahero]

2:45 Aren’t needle exchanges programs absolutely ILLEGAL in America?

[@regiramanathan6245]

Alan nope. There are several. They don't receive great government support like they perhaps ought to, but they exist.

[@soonahero]

Regi Ramanathan they’re illegal in the United States of America I literally learned this in university today They exist They’re illegal.

[@crazynutt45]

It depends on the state, but federally they aren't illegal

[@soonahero]

crazynutt45 that’s.. wrong Why are you saying things that are wrong. This isn’t a game

[@crazynutt45]

Why don't you take the 5 minutes it would take to google it and find out the truth for yourself. Funding was banned, but not the programs themselves. There are more than 200 syringe exchange programs in the Unites States