Casual Cocaine Users Risk Heart Problems

Occasional and sporadic use of cocaine can cause people's blood to thicken cumulatively, putting them at greater risk of heart attacks, according to research published in the American Journal of Cardiology (7 Monthly). The research also suggests frequent use damages blood vessels and can cause clotting, which has serious health implications for the estimated 10% of users who become addicted.

"One of the main problems with powder cocaine abuse is getting people to admit they have a problem," said Jacqui Cotton from Manchester treatment centre the Piper Project, speaking in a Face magazine drugs special last year.

"There are reports of severe physical and mental reactions to cocaine use- nervous breakdowns, heart attacks, brain haemorrhages - but users are much more likely to develop problems over a period of months or years," she said.

"The most common symptoms of long term cocaine use are feelings of apathy and hopelessness. Your friends feel boring; you feel bored yourself."

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