Cocaine abuse and addiction continue to plague our Nation. Today, about one in six Americans (15 percent in 2007) has tried cocaine by the age of 30, and 7 percent have tried it by their senior year of high school. But recent discoveries about the inner workings of the brain and the damaging effects of cocaine offer us unprecedented opportunities for addressing this persistent public health problem.
Genetic studies are providing critical information about the hereditary influences on the risk of addiction to psychoactive substances, including cocaine. Moreover, sophisticated imaging technologies have allowed scientists to visualize the brain changes that result from chronic drug exposure or that happen when an addicted person is exposed to drug-associated "cues" that can trigger craving and lead to relapse. By mapping the genetic factors and brain regions responsible for the multiple effects of cocaine, these new technologies can help us identify new targets for treating cocaine addiction.
NIDA remains vigilant in our quest for more effective strategies to address the serious public health issues linked to cocaine abuse. We not only support a wide range of basic and clinical research, but also facilitate the translation of these research findings into real-world settings. To this end, we strive to keep the public informed of the latest scientific advances in the field of addiction. We hope that this compilation of scientific information on cocaine abuse will inform readers and bolster our efforts to tackle the personal and social devastation caused by drug abuse and addiction
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