Pubdate: Thu, 31 Aug 2006
Source: Scotsman (UK)
Copyright: 2006 The Scotsman Publications Ltd
Contact: http://members.scotsman.com/contact.cfm
Website: http://www.scotsman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/406
Author: Michael Howie and Jason Cumming
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/area/United+Kingdom

DEATHS FROM COCAINE DOUBLE AND TOLL IS SET TO GROW

Class a Drugs Caused a Record Number of Deaths Last Year

Cocaine-Related Fatalities Jumped Tenfold in Four Years

Cocaine Has Become Increasingly Popular Across Society

Key quote: "Three years ago, 80 per cent of our treatment service's 
clients were [using] ecstasy and 20 per cent cocaine, cannabis and 
other drugs. Now it's 80 per cent cocaine." John Arthur, manager of 
drugs support and advice group Crew 2000

LETHAL cocktails of cocaine and alcohol will wreak a "heavy toll" in 
years to come, the country's drugs tsar warned yesterday as fresh 
figures revealed the Class A drug was responsible for a record number 
of deaths last year.

In Scotland's capital alone, cocaine is now present in the blood of 
about 15 per cent of people who have died from drugs.

And Tom Wood, chairman of the Scottish Association of Alcohol and 
Drug Action Teams, warned the number of people dying after taking 
cocaine was likely to rise even higher.

The former deputy chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police also 
highlighted the health dangers of mixing cocaine, regarded as the 
drug of choice among many young professionals, and alcohol.

"Five years ago there wouldn't have been a trace of cocaine in the 
deaths. But the drug was present in a number of cases last year and 
more this year," Mr Wood said.

"The increased use of cocaine, particularly combined with alcohol, 
will reap a heavy toll in coming years."

Experts said the increased availability and falling cost of cocaine 
on Scotland's streets combined with a "sophisticated" new breed of 
drug user, who grew up with the 1990s ecstasy boom, has fuelled demand.

Cocaine-related fatalities across the country jumped almost tenfold 
in four years, from four in 2000 to 38 in 2004, and figures published 
today will reveal the number of deaths was even higher last year.

The Scotsman has learned that the number of drug deaths in Edinburgh 
doubled last year, from 17 in 2004 to around 40.

Across the Lothians, 57 drug-related deaths were recorded in 2005, 
compared with 36 the previous year. Cocaine was present in the blood 
of about one in seven of those who died.

This summer alone, at least five people have died after taking 
cocaine in Scotland's capital. Some of those are believed to have 
also taken large quantities of alcohol which, combined with the hot 
weather, can put intolerable strain on the heart.

Mr Wood said those most at risk of dying from cocaine included 
traditional heroin users, who were taking advantage of an 
increasingly inexpensive, readily available alternative.

He added: "But there are also more recreational drug users who are 
switching to cocaine, who think it's relatively harmless. They think 
it's sexy and 'showbiz'.

"More idiots in wine bars are shoving it up their noses. They don't 
realise that it's incredibly powerful and dangerous, particularly 
mixed with alcohol."

Mr Wood said the rising problem of cocaine abuse demanded a radical 
shift in treatment services.

"Traditionally, our services have been geared towards opiates, but 
the increasing prevalence of cocaine means we need a rethink 
throughout Scotland.

"The prediction nationally is for bad news in years to come on drug 
deaths because of cocaine. I predict that despite increasingly 
developed early interventions, the attrition rate will continue to run high."

Detective Superintendent Gill Wood, of the Scottish Crime and Drug 
Enforcement Agency, also expressed concerns.

She said: "Deaths from cocaine are increasing nationally.

"We hope that more people are becoming aware of the health risks 
associated with cocaine - which is clearly a very dangerous drug."

Last year's Know the Score advertising campaign, which graphically 
highlighted the damage cocaine causes to the body, would be repeated 
later in the year, Ms Wood added.

Scottish Executive figures released last month show that cocaine use 
among Scots in their late 20s and early 30s has almost doubled in a year.

The Scottish Drugs Misuse survey for 2004 suggested cocaine had 
become the drug of choice for young professionals.

Across all age groups, use of the Class A drug increased slightly, 
but in the 25-29 age group it almost doubled, from 1.4 per cent to 
2.7 per cent of the population. In the 30-34 age group there was also 
a marked jump, from 1.9 per cent to 2.8 per cent.

John Arthur, manager of drugs support and advice group Crew 2000, 
said cocaine had become increasingly popular in Scotland's club scene 
over the past five years.

He said: "We now have a generation of people who grew up using 
ecstasy, who don't have such a negative reaction to using drugs recreationally.

"Traditionally, Scotland has been fixated on opiates but that's changing.

"Cocaine has a different cachet. It's not taboo and it's part of the 
norm for many people."

Crew 2000 provides one of Scotland's two cocaine treatment services - 
with the other located in Aberdeen.

Mr Arthur added: "Three years ago, 80 per cent of our treatment 
service's clients were [using] ecstasy and 20 per cent cocaine, 
cannabis and other drugs. Now it's 80 per cent cocaine.

"We need to be looking at some kind of cocaine strategy for Scotland 
so we have the services in place to meet the demand."

It is believed there are about 51,000 "problem" drug users in 
Scotland, with most addicted to heroin.

However, experts warn it is difficult to say whether deaths linked to 
cocaine are of heroin users who have dabbled in the drug or "a new 
genre of middle-class deaths".

Alistair Ramsay, chairman of consultancy Drugwise - which offers 
support and advice to industry and schools - said: "We're seeing an 
evolution in accessibility to cocaine.

"Scotland is being targeted by Colombian cartels, which are becoming 
better than ever at distributing and marketing cocaine and we're now 
seeing the casualties.

"The question is whether drug services in Scotland are geared up to 
deal with this evolution."

Experts say cocaine is becoming increasing popular "across society" - 
from the homeless and long-term heroin addicts to white-collar professionals.

David Liddell, director of the Scottish Drugs Forum, admitted it was 
difficult to know the true extent of cocaine's popularity because 
many recreational users "don't think they have a problem".

Mr Liddell added: "There has been an increase in the number of people 
using cocaine and crack but ... we shouldn't take our eye off the 
scale of the heroin problem which still exists.

"Most drugs deaths are driven by opiates."

However, it is accepted that many young professionals who seek help 
tend to approach their GP rather than attending conventional drugs 
schemes, and are therefore under-represented in official statistics.

According to a report released by the European Union's drug agency in 
November, Britain is now top of Europe's "league table" for cocaine abuse.

The annual report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and 
Drug Addiction found that nearly 12 per cent of people under the age 
of 35 in Britain had tried the drug at least once.

The EU's experts believe these figures underestimate the situation as 
there is a serious under-reporting of cocaine-related deaths, with 
the drug playing "a determining role" in around 10 per cent of all 
narcotic deaths.

Mixing cocaine with alcohol leads to a sharp increase in its 
toxicity. Mr Wood said analysis of drug deaths in the Lothians showed 
that fatalities almost always occurred following a protracted period 
of drug abuse, often involving a combination of substances.

Analysis of fatalities carried out by the Lothian Drug Related Deaths 
Group, involving police and NHS Lothian, showed that, last year, 29 
per cent of people who died had a record of previous overdoses.

Methadone use was indicated in 14 of the 27 available toxicology 
reports, while 33 per cent indicated alcohol abuse.

Mr Wood said: "We refer to these statistics as drug deaths and we 
picture in our minds the tragic teenager who dies after a first 
flirtation with deadly substances.

"In fact, we typically see a sad group of addicts who, year on year, 
pay the price of addictions and die of chronic multi-drug and alcohol 
abuse, often accompanied by medical conditions you would normally 
associate with people twice their age. In some cases it appears that 
they simply give up the will to live."

Drink Still a Big Killer As Fatalities Above 1,500 Again

DRINK-RELATED deaths in Scotland have more than doubled since the 
start of the 1990s. They are now running at record levels in the 
Lothian, Argyll and Clyde, Lanarkshire and Fife health board areas.

In 1990 there were 657 alcohol-related deaths but by 1997 the annual 
toll crossed the 1,000 mark to reach 1,061.

By 2000 the death toll stood at 1,292, hitting a record 1,525 in 2003 
before dipping to 1,478 the following year.

In 2005 the figure again increased and stood at 1,513, according to 
statistics given to the SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson in response to a 
parliamentary question.

Other figures showed that heroin and morphine deaths have increased 
by 35 per cent since 1999 and totalled 225 in 2004. In 1996 the total was 84.

Greater Glasgow was the area worst affected by drink-related deaths, 
with 376 last year.

In 1998 the figure was 319 - and during some of the intervening years 
the death toll was even higher than now, reaching 406 in 2003.

Lothian health board area had 221 drink-related deaths last year 
while the then Argyll and Clyde health board had 177, Lanarkshire 184 
and Fife 76.

Shona Robison, the SNP health spokeswoman, said: "We already know 
from the latest official figures that there has been a massive 
increase in the number of patients discharged from Scottish hospitals 
with alcohol-related conditions.

"The fact that more people are dying from drink as well as 
drug-related deaths should come as a stark warning that we have a lot 
of work still to do to combat Scotland's drink and drugs problems."

The Tories also attacked the Executive over the figures which, they 
said, showed one death every six hours in Scotland from alcohol abuse.

Dr Nanette Milne, the Conservatives' health spokeswoman, said: 
"Society has clearly changed over the past two decades and we now see 
women drinking as much as men.

"Sadly, this would suggest that the Labour-Lib Dem Executive's 
strategy to tackle alcohol abuse isn't making any real impact on the problem."

A spokesman for the Executive said measures had been introduced to 
tackle the problem. The licensing act brought tough action to tackle 
binge and under-age drinking, and anti-social behaviour legislation 
would help tackle drink-related crime and disorder.

Too Many People Risking Their Lives With Lethal Combination

WHILE many cocaine users may believe the drug and alcohol are "made 
for each other", research suggests it is a dangerous combination.

Studies show the risk of sudden death is up to 18 times greater when 
the two are used together.

Experts say that, while the combination intensifies cocaine's 
euphoric effects, it also increases the likelihood of liver damage 
and puts more stress on the heart.

However, drugs workers warn that the safety message is not getting 
through to many users.

John Arthur, the manager of the support and advice group Crew 2000, 
said: "One guy I know says cocaine and alcohol are made for each other.

"Using any stimulant with alcohol - a depressant - stops it from 
depressing the system. The crude answer is that cocaine allows you to 
drink more.

"Rather than falling into a drunken stupor halfway through the night, 
you are able to keep on drinking.

"However, when you take both into the system, the liver produces a 
new chemical - cocaethylene - which some studies suggest is more 
toxic to the liver and other organs."

Some studies believe cocaethylene is particularly damaging to the heart.

Although experts say additional research needs to be done, the 
mixture of cocaine and alcohol is the most common two-drug 
combination that results in drug-related death. One survey in the 
United States found it was also the major cause of heart failure and 
cardiovascular arrest in cocaine abusers.

A report prepared for the Home Office earlier this year put heroin 
and cocaine at the top of the league table of harm - it examined 20 
substances for their addictive qualities, social harm and physical damage.

Repeated cocaine snorting damages the membranes that line the nose. 
The drug also causes increased blood pressure and a higher heart 
rate. Other physical problems linked to it include convulsions, 
nausea, blurred vision, chest pain, fever, muscle spasms and coma.

Deaths related to cocaine are often a result of cardiac arrest or 
seizures and respiratory failure.

People attempting to stop taking it have reported feelings of 
tiredness, panic, insomnia and extreme emotional and physical 
distress. Symptoms can include diarrhoea, vomiting, the shakes, 
anorexia and sweating. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake