Addictiveness of Central Stimulants (From Addiction Potential of Abused Drugs and Drug Classes; P 9-26, 1990, Barry Stimmel, Carlton K Erickson, et al., eds. -- See NCJ-128599)

• NCJ Number: 128600
• Author(s): C A Dackis; M S Gold
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 18 pages
• Sale Source: Haworth Press, Inc
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The central stimulants that are currently most abused are amphetamine and cocaine. Because cocaine does not produce severe physical withdrawal symptoms and because use is often characterized by binges, researchers until recently have believed that cocaine is not as addictive as other classes of drugs.

Abstract

A number of epidemiological facts, however, support the notion of cocaine addiction. Furthermore, cocaine and other central stimulants are powerful activators of endogenous reward centers, triggering cravings and drug-induced euphoria that characterize all forms of drug addiction. Other clinical manifestations of drug addiction include tolerance and sensitization, impaired satiation, stimulant withdrawal, and progression. Cocaine users, like other drug addicts, are willing to tolerate adverse medical, psychological, and legal effects of their habit. Preclinical studies on animals demonstrate that central stimulants can produce profound drug dependency, exceeding that of other classes of drugs. Stimulant addiction responds to the same basic treatment approaches as other addictive illnesses including self-help, behavior modification, and pharmacological treatments. 30 references