5. Cocaine
Street names: Crack, Coke, White, Wash, Charlie, Snow
Cocaine, the substance after which Coca-Cola got its name, is produced from Coca plant, native to South America. The drug occupies the 5th place on our list of 11 Most Commonly Used Illegal Drugs. While cocaine use is banned in most countries, in 2013 Bolivians passed the law that gives them the right to chew coca leaves. World Drug Report estimates that 17.04 million people used cocaine. Cocaine interacts with neuro cells that are responsible for releasing dopamine. In normal circumstances, dopamine returns to cells to be recycled. However, cocaine prevents this recycling causing more and more dopamine to be accumulated in the brain. High levels of dopamine create the feeling of euphoria that cocaine users experience.
