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Coca Articles \| Home Page “Hoja de coca no es droga” – You will see this slogan on hundreds of t-shirts if you walk through any tourist shopping area, and means “Coca leaf is not a drug’. Whether this is true or false really depends on your perspective. Questions about coca are some of the most frequent to hit the mailbox here at EasyPeru HQ, so this article is to try and dispel some of the myths. Coca plant Many tourists see coca tea (“mate de coca”) advertised in cafes or restaurants and get a thrill – “isn’t that cocaine?” – and will quite often avoid it, or try some, looking round in fear that someone may see them, or a policeman come and arrest them. The truth is rather more prosaic through. The active ingredient of cocaine is present in (and comes from) coca leaves. This is true. However, the relationship between cocaine and coca is similar to that of opium and poppies, or aspirin and willow trees, or even gold ingots and large chunks of Andean mountain. Using coca leaves has a long history in Peru, and coca leaves were sacred to the Incas, forming part of their culture and religion. Coca leaves have been chewed for centuries as a effective way of avoiding altitude sickness (soroche) and to help reduce symptoms of illness such as upset stomachs. Coca tea is drunk by people from all walks of life as a general pick-me-up, or even just as an after-meal drink, without any negative or ‘dodgy’ connotations at all – even being given to children and babies when they are ill. Can you get addicted to coca leaves? Probably, if you eat enough of them. That would probably have to be several tons of bushes though, and I have not heard of anyone who has become dependent on chewing them. Of course it is a different matter if you go for any leaves that have been processed into more concentrated substances such as resin – this is best left well alone. Coca leaves are illegal in many countries outside the Andes, including the USA – although previously they were freely available and used in products such as Coca-Cola (ever wondered where the name came from? – now you know) Coca tea bags Most Peruvians view production of coca leaves in the Andes slightly ambivalently. The USA of course is dead against it as the raw material for the production of cocaine, and there are many drives to reduce the amount of space given over to growing coca. The process to convert leaves to cocaine involves using paraffin and a number of nasty chemicals which pollute the rivers and kill wildlife in the forests, and the ‘narcotrafficantes’, or drug traffickers, are a nasty bunch, associated with attacks on police stations, murders of policemen and native peoples, and of course the drugs trade. However, there is space set aside (however informally) for ‘traditional’ production of coca, which most Peruvians see as a desirable part of their cultural background. Evo Morales, the controversial president of Bolivia, was involved with coca production and coca farmers form a large part of his power base. His health spokesman famously said that mate de coca is ‘better for babies than breast milk’ which is probably taking things a little far! However, if you want to try coca tea, make your own decision and don’t let the myths put you off. Back to top \| Home Page \| Articles \| History \| Culture

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Coca

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“Hoja de coca no es droga” – You will see this slogan on hundreds of t-shirts if you walk through any tourist shopping area, and means “Coca leaf is not a drug’. Whether this is true or false really depends on your perspective. Questions about coca are some of the most frequent to hit the mailbox here at EasyPeru HQ, so this article is to try and dispel some of the myths.

Coca plant

Many tourists see coca tea (“mate de coca”) advertised in cafes or restaurants and get a thrill – “isn’t that cocaine?” – and will quite often avoid it, or try some, looking round in fear that someone may see them, or a policeman come and arrest them. The truth is rather more prosaic through.

The active ingredient of cocaine is present in (and comes from) coca leaves. This is true. However, the relationship between cocaine and coca is similar to that of opium and poppies, or aspirin and willow trees, or even gold ingots and large chunks of Andean mountain.

Using coca leaves has a long history in Peru, and coca leaves were sacred to the Incas, forming part of their culture and religion. Coca leaves have been chewed for centuries as a effective way of avoiding altitude sickness (soroche) and to help reduce symptoms of illness such as upset stomachs. Coca tea is drunk by people from all walks of life as a general pick-me-up, or even just as an after-meal drink, without any negative or ‘dodgy’ connotations at all – even being given to children and babies when they are ill.

Can you get addicted to coca leaves? Probably, if you eat enough of them. That would probably have to be several tons of bushes though, and I have not heard of anyone who has become dependent on chewing them. Of course it is a different matter if you go for any leaves that have been processed into more concentrated substances such as resin – this is best left well alone.

Coca leaves are illegal in many countries outside the Andes, including the USA – although previously they were freely available and used in products such as Coca-Cola (ever wondered where the name came from? – now you know)

Coca tea bags

Most Peruvians view production of coca leaves in the Andes slightly ambivalently. The USA of course is dead against it as the raw material for the production of cocaine, and there are many drives to reduce the amount of space given over to growing coca. The process to convert leaves to cocaine involves using paraffin and a number of nasty chemicals which pollute the rivers and kill wildlife in the forests, and the ‘narcotrafficantes’, or drug traffickers, are a nasty bunch, associated with attacks on police stations, murders of policemen and native peoples, and of course the drugs trade. However, there is space set aside (however informally) for ‘traditional’ production of coca, which most Peruvians see as a desirable part of their cultural background.

Evo Morales, the controversial president of Bolivia, was involved with coca production and coca farmers form a large part of his power base. His health spokesman famously said that mate de coca is ‘better for babies than breast milk’ which is probably taking things a little far! However, if you want to try coca tea, make your own decision and don’t let the myths put you off.