Given below are two statements:
Statement I: Cocaine interferes with the transport of the neuro-transmitter dopamine.
Statement II: Generally taken by snorting and injection, cocaine is a depressant and slows down body functions.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
Cocaine is a coca alkaloid obtained from the coca plant Erythroxylum coca. It acts on the brain by interfering with the transport of the neurotransmitter dopamine. It is a stimulant, not a depressant.
Statement I: Cocaine interferes with the transport of the neuro-transmitter dopamine. — True. This is how cocaine acts. It has a potent stimulating action on the central nervous system and gives a sense of euphoria and increased energy.
Statement II: Generally taken by snorting and injection, cocaine is a depressant and slows down body functions. — False. This line is true of heroin, an opioid. Cocaine, commonly called coke or crack, is usually snorted and has a potent stimulating action on the central nervous system.
NCERT Extract:
Drugs and Alcohol Abuse – “… Heroin (Figure 7.7), commonly called smack is chemically diacetylmorphine which is a white, odourless, bitter crystalline compound. This is obtained by acetylation of morphine (Figure 7.7), which is extracted from the latex of poppy plant Papaver somniferum (Figure 7.8). Generally taken by snorting and injection, heroin is a depressant and slows down body functions.”
Drugs and Alcohol Abuse – “… Coca alkaloid or cocaine is obtained from coca plant Erythroxylum coca, native to South America. It interferes with the transport of the neuro-transmitter dopamine. Cocaine, commonly called coke or crack is usually snorted. It has a potent stimulating action on central nervous system, producing a sense of euphoria and increased energy. Excessive dosage of cocaine causes hallucinations.”