Saturday 26 April 2008

The Drug Experience: Cocaine (Part 2)

This Briefing continues an examination of the seminal study by Dan Waldorf and colleagues on heavy cocaine use. We look at controlled cocaine users in this study, and describe factors that might contribute to this form of drug consumption, and mitigate against the descent into cocaine addiction.

“Whilst cocaine is often portrayed as a powerful reinforcing psychoactive drug, we sadly do not often hear that its powers are also mediated by users’ norms, values, practices, and circumstances. We underestimate the powers of social, social psychological and cultural aspects, whilst overestimating the pharmacological power of the drug.”

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