Laserfiche WebLink
Appendix A3 -Training MaterialslEmployees Cocaine <br />Cocaine is an alkaloid (organic base) derived from the coca plant. In its more common form, cocaine hydrochloride <br />("snorting coke") is a white to creamy granular or lumpy powder (chopped fine before use). Cocaine base, rock, or crack is a <br />crystalline rock about the size of a small pebble. <br />Cocaine hydrochloride is snorted into the nose, rubbed on the gums, or injected into the veins. <br />Cocaine base is heated in a glass pipe and the vapor is inhaled. <br />It is estimated that 5.8 million Americans use cocaine in any given month, and 5 percent of employed persons 20 to 40 <br />years old reported using cocaine in the month prior to the N1DA survey. <br />Cocaine first produces psychomotor and autonomic stimulation, with a euphoric subjective "high." Larger doses may <br />induce mental confusion or paranoid delusions, and serious overdoses cause seizures, respiratory depression, cardiac <br />arrhythmias, and death. <br />Cocaine abusers, even if they do not use at work, often report vocational impairment due to exhaustion; they use the <br />drug until late at night. Among chronic users, exhaustion, lethargy, and mental depression appear, and the stimulant effect <br />may seem progressively weaker. Cocaine is highly reinforcing; repeated experiences with it tend to drive further episodes of <br />self -administration. Many users say that although the drug no longer produces much "high," they are unable to abstain. <br />Under DOT regulations, a Medical Review Officer (MRO) is not allowed to accept any claim of "passive ingestion" (e.g., <br />the consumption of coca teas) as a legitimate medical explanation for a positive drug test for cocaine. <br />Signs and Symptoms: <br />Evidence of Presence: small folded envelopes, plastic bags, or vials used to store cocaine; razor blades; cut-off drinking <br />straws or rolled bills for snorting; small spoons; heating apparatus. <br />Physical Symptoms: dilated pupils; runny or irritated nose; profuse sweating; dry mouth; tremors; needle tracks; loss of <br />appetite; hype rexcitability; restlessness; high blood pressure; heart palpitations; insomnia; talkativeness; formication <br />(sensation of bugs crawling on skin). <br />Behavioral Symptoms: increased physical activity; depression; isolation and secretive behavior; unusual defensiveness; <br />frequent absences; wide mood swings; difficulty in concentration; paranoia; hallucinations; confusion; false sense of power <br />and control. <br />Personal Health Safety, and the Work Environment: <br />General Health Effects: ■ may upset chemical balance of the brain ... speed up the aging process... cause irreparable <br />damage to critical nerve cells ■ causes heart to beat faster and harder and rapidly increases blood pressure ■ causes <br />spasms of blood vessels in the brain and heart... leading to strokes and heart attacks ■ Cocaine causes the strongest mental <br />dependency of any known drug. ■ Treatment success rates are lower than those of other chemical dependencies. ■ Cocaine <br />is extremely dangerous when taken with depressant drugs. Medical intervention for overdoses in such cases usually proves <br />ineffective. <br />Safety and the Work Environment: Regular use can cause the following effects: ■ Paranoia and hallucinations ■ <br />Hyperexcitability and overreaction to stimulus - Difficulty in concentration ■ Wide mood swings ■ Withdrawal leads to <br />depression and disorientation ■ Cocaine use results in an artificial sense of power and control which leads to a sense of <br />invincibility. <br />■ Lapses in attention and the ignoring of warning signals greatly increase potential for accidents. <br />■ Paranoia, hallucinations, and extreme mood swings make for erratic and unpredictable reaction. <br />■ The cost of maintaining cocaine dependency frequently leads to workplace theft and/or dealing. <br />■ Forgetfulness, absenteeism, tardiness, and missed assignments can translate into lost <br />business. <br />Overdose Effects: ■ Agitation ■ Increase in body temperature ■ Hallucinations <br />■ Convulsions ■ Death <br />Withdrawal Syndrome: ■ Apathy ■ Long periods of sleep ■ Irritability = Depression ■ Disorientation <br />2020 Drug Screens Plus, All Rights Reserved. (24) FMCSA 20200101 266 <br />