Similarities and Differences Between Methamphetamine and Cocaine

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Since they produce very similar the same effects, Cocaine and Methamphetamine (Meth) are often linked together. Both drugs also belong to the class of drugs called psycho stimulants. Despite the similarities and differences of both drugs, however, they’re both very addictive and extremely dangerous. Both have a strong potential for dependence and abuse as well.

Meth is a chemical, and is man made, while cocaine (or coke) comes from the leaves of a coca plant. You can smoke, inject, or snort either drug. The main difference between the two drugs however, is that meth comes in a pill form, and cocaine typically comes in a powder form, with the exception of crack cocaine. Neither drug has much (if any) practical or medical purpose, however, cocaine can be used as an anesthetic and appetite stimulant.

Meth has a much wider defined area of use than cocaine. Its highest use is in California, Hawaii, and most Western areas of the United States. More recently, meth usage has increased in the urban areas of Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, and Washington. Cocaine has no geographic pattern, but studies have shown that it’s used largely in major metropolitan areas due to the fact that cocaine is very expensive.

As far as effects are concerned, both cocaine and meth are often confused with one another because they both produce the same effects. With both drugs, users experience a quick rush followed by feelings of euphoria or happiness. A meth high can last anywhere between eight and twenty-four hours, depending on the amount of drug ingested into the body. The high from Cocaine lasts only a short time, from twenty to thirty minutes.

Methamphetamine’s high can last from eight to twenty four hours and fifty percent of the drug is removed from the body in twelve hours. Cocaine’s high on the other hand, lasts from twenty to thirty minutes and fifty percent of the drug is removed from the body in one hour. Physiologically, Both meth and cocaine can cause make you irritable can cause anxiety. Both drugs also increase the heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature.

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