Cocaine today

Nearly 5 million Americans used cocaine within the last year - and nearly 2 million have used it in the last month, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, . Cocaine also causes about 550,000 trips to the emergency department each year.

"Cocaine abuse and addiction continue to plague our Nation,"says Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

Dr. Markel says there's hope, despite these statistics:

"Recent discoveries about the inner workings of the brain and the harmful effects of cocaine offer us unprecedented opportunities for addressing this persistent public health problem."