The accused, Sheila Bethea, was driving a minivan on October 26, 2009 carrying five kids, including Ehlmer Mirra. She was speeding at 75mph in a 45mph zone, and took heroin and smoked crack cocaine earlier in the day. When the van crashed, Melissa was killed as well as another 15-year-old kid, Katherine Willis.

In a report from the NY Daily News, Bethea pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 2 to 7 years imprisonment. She is 46 years old.

In court, Bathea refused to look at Mirra’s mother and faced Queen Supreme Court Judge Dorothy Chin-Brandt. She tells the judge that she tried to pass the minivan along St. Albans Street despite a double-parked car scenario and that she was eventually side-swept. All of the five kids in the van were not wearing their seatbelts. Bethea confirmed that her mother, Genevieve Bethea, served as foster mother to the kids in accordance to a contract she signed with the Administration for Children’s Services.

Bethea was holding back her tears when she asked forgiveness from the two families that were still grieving. “God knows this was a bad accident,” Bethea said. “I’m suffering just as much as these parents are. It was an accident – a horrible accident.”

The families of the two minors who got killed in the accident filed lawsuits against ACS officials for failing to safeguard the kids under their care.

Forms

Salts – Cocaine may come in different salts like hydrochloride and sulfate.

Freebase – This comes in a base form (not salt form). Smoking this form of cocaine has an extra effect brought by releasing methylecgonidine into the user’s sytem.

Crack – It is a cheaper form of cocaine. It is also a free-base cocaine but it contains sodium bicarbonate making it impure. It is administered usually through smoking. The term crack cocaine is derived from the crackling sound it creates once heated.

Coca leaf infusions – This is used in countries that produced coca-leaf for the purpose of herbal medicine. It is usually known as coca tea and been popular in Peru and Bolivia because of its medicinal powers such as treatment for malaise, mild stimulation and mood enhancement.

Types of Administration

Oral – This is done either through the following: rubbing the powder along the gum line, through a cigarette filter , or wrapping the cocaine in some kind of rolled paper then swallowing it.

Chewing – This is done with coca leaves mixed with an alkaline substance like lime.

Insufflation or sniffing – This is one of the most known and used method of administering cocaine.

Injection – This method gives the highest blood levels of drug in the quickest time.

Inhalation – This is also known as smoking which is done through inhaling the vapor the smoke by sublimating solid cocaine through heating.

Suppository – This is also referred to as plugging which is the insertion of cocaine through an oral syringe into the anus or vagina.

According to the Concepts of Chemical Dependency by Harold E. Doweiko, the effects of amphetamines on a user vary in relation to the user’s mental state. These effects can also be influenced by how much amphetamine the user takes, the potency of the form of the drug that the user takes, and how the user takes it.

At low to moderate dosage levels, amphetamine users can experience any of the following effects, as enumerated in an article on TestCountry: “alertness, an elevation of mood, feeling of mild euphoria, less mental fatigue, and an improved level of concentration.” All these effects are essentially positive, and if taken by an individual or patient who really needs it, amphetamine is helpful. When the dosage taken by an individual constitutes abuse, however, the abuser may suffer from episodes of hypertension, pulmonary edema, tachycardia, arrhythmias, and even sudden cardiac death.

The effects of abusing cocaine, also according to Doweiko’s book, include impulsiveness, irritability, confusion, and paranoia, as well as an increase in blood pressure. Taking cocaine in high dosage levels, such that the cocaine in the blood reaches toxic levels, can lead to the following effects, as enumerated in the article: “cardiac arrhythmias, rhabadomyolysis, convulsion, strokes, and possible death from cardio respiratory arrest.”

Cocaine users generally feel the effects of the drug anywhere from a few minutes up to an hour. The effects of amphetamines, on the other hand, can last longer than the effects of cocaine, sometimes up to several hours.

Amphetamines arrived in the market in the 1930s, mainly as a medicine for the treatment of nasal congestion. During the Second World War, amphetamines were used by soldiers to keep themselves alert; the drug was also prescribed for weight loss. Nowadays, though, amphetamines have limited use, mainly for the treatment of ADHD, narcolepsy, and Parkinson’s disease.

Those who abuse amphetamines exhibit various symptoms, which have been classified into four: behavioral symptoms, psychiatric symptoms, physical symptoms, and life-threatening symptoms. Amphetamine users tend to be irritable and confused, and exercise poor judgment. They alternately exhibit euphoria and anger.

Amphetamine users tend to suffer from depression and other such mood disorders, including paranoia. Physically, one can notice weight loss and dilated pupils in someone who is suffering from amphetamine abuse. Amphetamine abuse can sometimes lead to seizures and cardiac arrhythmias, among other life-threatening conditions.

Cocaine users essentially exhibit similar symptoms as those who abuse amphetamines. They also suffer from various mood and anxiety disorders, and have episodes of delirium, hallucination and delusion. They too tend to have dilated pupils, and have increased heart rate and blood pressure. Those who abuse cocaine may suffer from insomnia and compulsive behavior.

Crack is the end result of processing cocaine hydrochloride with ammonia or baking soda, and water; this process yields a rock crystal. Crack is used by heating the rock crystal, and inhaling the cocaine vapor or smoke that is produced.

The vapor then goes directly into the lungs. According to an article on the National Institute on Drug Abuse, inhaled cocaine is absorbed in to the bloodstream as rapidly as injecting it directly into the blood stream. The effects of cocaine, which include increased energy and mental alertness, and reduced fatigue, become more intense when cocaine is absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered to the brain faster.

Crack cocaine, therefore, has the ability to deliver a stronger high when compared to snorting powder. The high that is produced by inhaling cocaine, however, is shorter. It may last only between 5 to 10 minutes. Since the high brought about by crack does not last long, the user needs to take it again. This causes abusers to binge, defined as taking the drug repeatedly, and at increasingly higher doses, within a relatively short period of time. This binging leads to irritability, restlessness and anxiety.

But what is crack? A post on DrugFree.org shares information about the substance. Cocaine goes by a number of names. Aside from crack, other slang terms that refer to it are as follows: Big C, Blow, Coke, Flake, Freebase, Lady, Nose Candy, Rock, Snow, Snowbirds, White Crack.

Cocaine is essentially a drug that is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant, and is known to be one of the most addictive of illicit drugs. Cocaine that can be found on the street comes in two forms: cocaine hydrochloride and crack. Cocaine hydrochloride is a white crystalline powder, while crack is cocaine hydrochloride that is processed with ammonia or baking soda, and water. This process yields freebase cocaine in the form of chips, chunks or rocks.

Cocaine is used in several ways. It can be snorted, or dissolved in water and then injected. Crack can also be smoked. Its users experience a high that will leave them more energized and less tired, and they can also experience mental clarity. These feelings, however, do not last for long; snorting cocaine will leave users high for 15 to 30 minutes, while smoking crack can only bring a high that will last for 5 to 10 minutes. What will follow is depression and irritability.

A feature on Medscape.com shares the results of the small functional magnetic resonance imaging (f-MRI) study. The results indicated that methylphenidate can improve the self-control of cocaine-dependent patents. Dr. Li, who is an associate professor of psychiatry and neurobiology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, shared the following statement with Medscape Medical News: “Currently, there are no [US Food and Drug Administration] approved medications for cocaine dependence… This study may help establish the neurobiological basis of catecholaminergic agents in the treatment of some patients with [cocaine dependence].”

The study consisted of data provided by ten volunteers who are cocaine-dependent. The volunteers were enrolled in an in-patient treatment unit, and some were randomly selected to receive either methylphenidate or saline placebo intravenously on the first session. The next treatment is received in another session conducted after 48 hours. After an estimated 45 minutes following each treatment, the feature shared, “participants performed a computerized stop signal test while undergoing an f-MRI.”

The following were measured at particular points in time (30 minutes before injections for the baseline, 30 minutes after the injections, and during each f-MRI): craving, anxiety, euphoria, heart rate, and blood pressure. Monitoring was continued up to six hours after sessions.

Dangers of Cocaine Use

Cocaine addicts undergo several side effects like agitation, nervousness and irritability. High doses or long standing use of cocaine often triggers paranoia among other psychological effects. Continued use of the drug produces a hostile paranoid behavior, which is a common factor leading to criminal tendencies. The external effects of cocaine use include dilated pupils, an increase in temperature, heart rate and blood pressure, and bloodshot eyes.

Detection of Cocaine Use

Cocaine is known to alter one’s personality and may drive a person to his extremes. It is important to watch out for the physical signs of cocaine abuse, such as an irritated nose, wounds in the arms, and sudden changes in personality among others since it may be difficult to spot drug paraphernalia or other evidences. A hair drug test can more accurately determine cocaine abuse. The user may not need to be in the laboratory. You may collect the samples and send them to a qualified laboratory.

Rehabilitation and Treatment of Cocaine Use

Treatment for cocaine use would vary on the extent of the addiction. A “crash” happens when an addict suddenly stops taking the drugs. A crash would cause extreme exhaustion, severe craving, irritability, agitation and dysphoria. Depression in a recovering patient usually worsens as the withdrawal reaches its peak. The person has a desire for sleep, and sleeps for an extended period of time. The person then undergoes a state called anhedonia, which may cause him to feel detached and find no pleasure from life. After about two weeks of stopping, the person usually returns to his usual self but will feel slight cravings for cocaine. This is why it is important to have a continued treatment even after withdrawal or rehabilitation.

Here are some slang terms or names for cocaine: big C, blanco, blow, blast, Bolivian, Charlie, coke, Columbian, girl, heaven, happy powder, Mama Coca, mojo, nose candy, Peruvian, pimp, she, sniff, snort, snow, toot, trails, white lady and stardust.

However put, cocaine is very dangerous and can be lethal to its users. It is known to cause heart complications including irregular heartbeats, strokes, heart attacks and respiratory failure. Other effects include depression, violent tendencies and a loss of sexual function.

Here is a list of known signs that someone may be abusing cocaine:

• Sudden weight loss
• Bloodshot eyes and dilated pupils
• Periods of depression
• Runny nose
• Decline in personal appearance or hygiene
• Respiratory infections
• Distorted sleep patterns
• Loss of interest in social engagements and relationships with friends and family
• Loss of interest in food, sex and other productive and pleasurable activities
• Paranoia, hallucinations and delusions
• Impatience and irritability
• Relentless or sometimes destructive need for money
• Euphoria
• Hyper-alertness
• Panic
• Use of small spoons, mirrors, razor blades, rolled paper money
• Use of small bottles with screw-top lids, plastic packets for storing

You may also use home drug tests to be certain about cocaine abuse. They can be very convenient to use, highly effective and totally confidential.