Author: Paul Ratner / Source: Big Think
- Cocaine cut with anti-worming adulterant levamisole may cause brain damage.
- Levamisole can thin out the prefrontal cortex and affect cognitive skills.
- Government health programs should encourage testing of cocaine for purity.
A dangerous new substance that may cause brain damage has been found mixed with cocaine by Swiss researchers.
After marijuana, cocaine is the second-most consumed illegal drug around the world. Unlike weed, however, it’s usually ingested in an impure “cut” form, with drug dealers adding substances to the coke in order to increase their profitability. These often-hazardous additives can be laundry detergents, baking soda, ammonia, as well as local anesthetic agents, painkillers and caffeine, which mimic some of the effects of cocaine at a lower cost.
Now, two studies from the University of Zurich (UZH) show that levamisole, an animal anti-worming agent, has been turning up in the cocaine supply. Levamisole can impart cognitive performance and thin out the prefrontal cortex in regular cocaine users. The reason levamisole may be added to cocaine is to prolong the drug’s effects.
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