Many people think cocaine is a fun recreational drug with no harmful side effects. But the truth is that something terrible can happen to you. You see, your nasal cavity is separated from your mouth by the hard palate and soft palate... but at the oropharynx, the two sections connect, allowing air inhaled from your nose to enter your esophagus. That means that when you inhale cocaine, the powder travels through your nasal mucosa but ultimately leeches into the mouth, where taste buds are present. Then, if you eat a succulent meal, your ability to discern flavor will be reduced by the drug's numbing properties, resulting in diminished enjoyment.
My aunt had a massive cocaine problem in the 80s, because it was the 80s. One morning, she woke up in the aftermath of a party and found herself in a living room. She noticed some powder on the table, and, being a still-mostly asleep cocaine addict in the 80s, quickly arranged it into a line and snorted it.
It was not cocaine.
She snorted straight wasabi powder.
She claims it was the worst, most horrible burning sensation she's ever suffered, but it also completely cured her addiction and she hasn't touched cocaine since.
Cocaine is the enemy of flavor. But flavor is also a powerful adversary of cocaine. Thank you for sharing this.