Cocaine Abuse
(IN PHOTO)Drug users consume crack in the old center of Salvador da Bahia March 19, 2012. Demand for cocaine has soared along with the economy over the past decade and fueled an abundant supply of crack now ensnaring thousands of new addicts. With nowhere else to go, legions of the addicted roam city centers across Brazil, many of them venues chosen to showcase Brazil's ascendance during the 2014 World Cup and the Olympic Games of 2016. Picture taken March 19. REUTERS

A new study from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction has revealed that Britain has the highest rate of cocaine use among young adults in Europe. The annual report generated by the EU’s official drugs monitoring agency for the year 2013/2014 has indicated that about one in 24 people have used cocaine in the last 12 months belonging to the age group of 15 to 34 years.

The figures revealed are worrisome because according to National Institute of Drug Abuse cocaine is a very powerful addictive stimulant that alters the central nervous system of the brain. Cocaine, or benzoylmethylecgonine on inhalation, snorting or injecting in veins can induce a feeling of short term euphoria, energy, and talkativeness along with loss of contact with reality. High doses of the drug results in very high blood pressure or body temperature. Cocaine abuse increases the risks of heart attack, stroke, seizure or respiratory failure which all in turn can result into sudden death.

Furthermore, the researchers say that London has the highest concentration of cocaine in its sewage in the EU in accord with the data provided from the European Union's drug monitoring body, establishing the fact that the city has the highest usage of the drug. While the city of London tops the amount of cocaine flushed down the toilet, Amsterdam’s sewage shows higher concentrations of cannabis. It is considered among the most widely used illegal drug in the European countries with an average estimate of 19.3 million users last year.

The annual report generated by the EMCDDA come in the form of a warning which sheds light on the concerning fact that there are hundreds of websites which openly sell the so called “legal highs”. The report states, “Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, are used to facilitate anonymous transactions, and stealth packaging is used to facilitate transportation of small quantities of drugs through established commercial channels. Another development relates to drug supply and the sharing of drugs or drug experiences via social media, including mobile apps. This area remains both poorly understood and difficult to monitor. Together, the growth of online and virtual drug markets poses major challenges to law enforcement and drug control policies.”

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