Cocaine anyone?

[blinkyblinky]

A surge in cocaine use is pushing Britain towards a "healthcare disaster" that will see a dramatic rise in heart attacks, strokes and neurological problems among young people, says a leading specialist.

The study looked at levels of cocaine in people who arrived at the accident and emergency unit of St Mary's hospital, Paddington, London, who were complaining of chest pains, a common side-effect of the drug. It found that on Friday or Saturday nights up to half the young people tested had cocaine in their system.

Hospitals are reporting patients in their early 30s suffering strokes and severe coronary heart disease brought on by cocaine use. Many do not smoke, are not overweight and do not have naturally high blood pressure.

Users are often oblivious to the harm cocaine can cause. And low prices, a poor understanding of the drug's medical effects and wide acceptability of cocaine, mean there is little to put the brakes on its soaring popularity.

In the US a condition called aortic dissection has become common among cocaine users. Caused by blood being forced into the lining of big vessels, it essentially creates a new channel for blood to flow down. The rupture itself causes crushing chest pains but also reduces blood flow to vital organs, leading to brain and kidney damage in many cases.

(from today's Guardian)

[january_bug]

What's the question?  Or is it still an offer?

If you want a debate on cocaine use, I'd suggest asking Ed to move this to "news". 

If you want a debate on the effects of cocaine, perhaps say so! :-)

Good morning by the way! :-)

[blinkyblinky]

good morning

[El D]

Yes cocaine use is rife in the london scene. I remember when the kate moss thing blew up some woman from a fashion mag came on saying it was better than using any other drug because it had no side effects and noone ever died from it. . . At the moment it is viewed as a 'safe' drug, something which will have to change pretty soon.

[january_bug]

It does appear to me, however, that this "study" is rather flawed.  Yet again, assumptions are being made about "young people in Britain", here based on admitted patients at ONE LONDON hospital.  This smacks of the binge drinking accusations which the Ministry of Anti-Fun is laying at the door of pretty much anyone under 30, just because a significant minority can't hold their drink (or just drink too much). 

I know YOU lot realise it's not true, but a lot of people will start deciding that everyone under 30 is coked up to the eyeballs... another generalisation that will, frankly, get my goat!

Good to see that the dangers are being highlighted though... I guess more work needs to be done. Perhaps part of the problem is that those who do take the drug, start on it in their mid to late 20s, when they are deemed (or deem themselves) to be too mature to be needing drugs education. 

[Grunty]

About 15 years ago, I was given a document, which I think I still have somewhere, written by a lady who had more medical and scientific qualifications than would fit sideways on an A4 sheet.  She gave her reasons why tobacco is more dangerous and more addictive than other drugs.  I am not debating whether she was right, but it is a different view and she obviously knew much more than I do.  She did not in any way play down the dangers of any drugs.  She would not have said that cocaine is safe, only that smoking is worse.

The criterion for 'dangerous' was 'How likely is it to lead to the death of the user?'