Why is Cocaine so addictive?

When snorted, cocaine will induce euphoria within minutes, and if smoked or injected, that euphoria occurs in only seconds. The faster the onset, the deeper the addiction; and as such cocaine is one of the most dangerously addictive drugs.

As users require ever greater amounts to get high and ingest the drug ever more frequently to avoid the despair of the crash. Cocaine addiction can quickly deepen and overwhelm; and what began as casual recreational use can easily become a devastating addiction. With addiction, cocaine becomes the central focus of life, and all available resources and energy are concentrated on securing the next hit of cocaine. Eventually, cocaine addicts progress to cocaine binges that last as long as the money for more cocaine is available. On a long binge, the frequency of cocaine usage accelerates and the need for greater cocaine dosages also increases. Binges can end in full blow paranoid psychosis, as the user loses touch with reality.