Cocaína: origens, passado e presente

Cycles of cocaine abuse have occurred throughout the world for more than 100 years. This paper intends to provide a historical background to the subject. The authors retrace about coca leaves use by the South America natives dating from approximately 500 b.C. In the 19th century, coca reached the developed countries and it was introduced in the social and medical context. This review describes the trajectory of cocaine in Brazil in the last years, respecting abuse and dependence among hospitalized patients, high school and college students and street children. The increase of the drug abuse results in alarming conseqüences to the users’ health as well as for the whole society.Keywords: cocaine; drug abuse; history