The UK has one of the highest levels of Cocaine usage in Western Europe. Recreational use of the drug by British people is becoming commonplace. In fact, in May 2014 it was even reported that traces of cocaine had contaminated the public water supply!
Many people use Cocaine as it can give you a very powerful high. However, using the drug is not without its risks and you could be putting both your health and liberty at risk when you use Charlie.
Here’s 18 things you might not have known about Cocaine:
1. Cocaine Use In The UK is Rising
In 2018, the percentage of adults who said they had taken the drug the previous year was 2.6%, or about 875,000 people, the highest figure since 2008/09. This upward trend is concerning for public health.
2. It’s Purer Now Than Ever
The increase in the popularity of cocaine has happened at the same time as an increase in its purity. The purer the cocaine, the more potent its effects.
3. An Exaggerated Sense of Self-Confidence
Using cocaine can give you an exaggerated sense of self-confidence. This might mean that you end up taking risks that could cause you harm. The loss of inhibition and judgment under cocaine’s influence makes it more likely you will engage in dangerous behaviors.
4. It Could Kill You
Overdose on cocaine and you could die. Cocaine-related deaths have been increasing in recent years.
5. Cocaine & Alcohol Are Not Good Together
Taking cocaine with alcohol can be particularly dangerous – mixed together they can produce a toxic chemical called cocaethylene. The combination is much riskier than either drug alone.
6. Cocaine Gets Right up Your Nose!
The cartilage in your nose that separates the nostrils can be damaged when you snort cocaine. You could end up with one really big nostril! Frequent snorting can lead to loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, and trouble swallowing.
7. Cocaine Will Hurt Your Pocket Too
Cocaine is not cheap to buy – you could end up in a lot of debt paying for your habit! Cocaine addiction often causes severe financial troubles.
8. Cocaine Heats You Up
Your body temperature will rise and you heart will beat faster when you take cocaine. You may feel hot, start sweating, and become dehydrated.
9. The Cocaine Crash Will Be Hard
As the effects of cocaine wear off, your body could crash and this comedown could last for days. The crash involves intense fatigue, depression, and cravings for more cocaine.
10. Do You Know What’s In It?
Cocaine powder can be cut with all kinds of substances – wraps have been shown to be mixed with sugar, starch and, most commonly a local anaesthetic called Benzocaine. You really don’t know the purity or safety of street cocaine.
11. It’s A Short Buzz
The peak effects of smoking crack usually lasts for just a couple of minutes. The overall “buzz” continues for 10 minutes at the most. This leads to repeated dosing and binges.
12. It’s Not For Mothers-To-Be
If you are pregnant and using cocaine, you run the risk of miscarriage or your baby having a low birth weight. Cocaine use during pregnancy can lead to lifelong physical and mental disabilities in babies.
13. You Won’t Want To Get Caught in Possession
If you get caught by the police with cocaine in your possession you will charged and you could face up to 7 years in jail. A drug conviction can negatively impact your life in many ways.
14. You May Never Go To Florida Again!
A conviction in the UK for using or possessing drugs could cause you problems in getting a visa to travel to some countries, such as the USA. A drug record could hamper international travel opportunities.
15. A Urine Drug Test Can Detect Cocaine for 5 Days
All traces of cocaine leave your body 12 hours after last use. However, cocaine use can still be detected by a urine drug test up to 5 days later. So cocaine use can be detected several days after the effects have worn off. Zoom Testing has one of the widest ranges of cocaine drug testing kits in the UK
16. … Although It Is Actually Testing for Benzoylecgonine
Most urine drug tests for Cocaine actually detect benzoylecgonine which s the metabolite for Cocaine. The tests don’t detect cocaine itself.
17. A Saliva Drug Test Can Detect Cocaine for 2 Days
A saliva drug test for cocaine will be able to detect the presence of the drug in your system for up to 48 hours after last use. Saliva tests can catch more recent cocaine use.
18. A Hair Drug Test Can Detect Cocaine for 90 Days
A hair drug test for cocaine will be able to detect if you have taken the drug in the last 90 days! Hair tests give the longest detection window for cocaine use.
19. Cocaine Can Cause Heart Problems
Cocaine puts a tremendous strain on your heart and cardiovascular system. It causes your heart rate and blood pressure to spike, constricts your blood vessels, and can trigger irregular heart rhythms. This makes cocaine highly dangerous for people with pre-existing heart conditions. Even in healthy individuals, cocaine can cause chest pain, heart attacks, strokes, and sudden death due to its cardiovascular effects. These heart-related complications are one of the most common medical emergencies and causes of death associated with cocaine use.
20. Cocaine Damages Your Brain
Cocaine powerfully impacts the brain by flooding it with dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter. With repeated use, cocaine depletes dopamine levels, which can damage neurons and alter the brain’s reward pathways. This leads to strong cravings and addiction. Studies show that the brain actually shrinks with long-term cocaine use, with gray matter loss in areas involved in motivation, decision-making, inhibition, and memory. This shrinking is associated with worse performance on cognitive tests. The brain damage from cocaine may persist even after someone becomes abstinent, contributing to relapse.
Photo credit: “Cocaine” (CC BY 2.0) by Nightlife Of Revelry
Zoom Testing is a leading UK drug testing company and a supplier of Drug Test Kits.
This post was originally published in October 2014.
