MODEL RELEASED. Cocaine snorting. Man snorting a line of cocaine through a rolled-up bank note. Cocaine is an illegal, alkaloid drug, obtained from the coca plant Erythroxylon coca. The powdered drug is arranged in lines and then sniffed onto the nasal membrane, where it is absorbed into the blood stream. It causes feelings of great exhilaration and energy. Prolonged use damages the nasal passages and may lead to anxiety, paranoia and dependency. Overdose can result in cardiac arrhythmias, seizures and death.