Hidden cost of using cocaine

More Londoners than ever are abusing hard drugs, according to the latest British Crime Survey. One in six people under 25 have experimented with Class A drugs, like heroin, crack and ecstasy, but it's the explosion in cocaine use that stands out - the number of people snorting the drug has tripled in seven years.

Cocaine stimulates the pleasure centre in the brain. It is rapidly absorbed through the delicate lining of the nose and starts to work within minutes - users soon feel confident, optimistic and happy.

Energy levels, self-esteem and sex drive are all boosted, and many think of it as the perfect party drug; enhancing social skills while reducing the need for food and sleep.

But the effects are short-lived (less than an hour in most cases), users have to snort repeatedly to maintain the benefits, and the more they use, the more desensitised they become, having to take larger amounts more frequently to achieve the same effect.

This, combined with the fact that users often feel awful for hours after coming off the drug, means that compulsive bingeing is common - one in seven users regularly snorts in binges that last hours or even days.

Cocaine is still expensive, at £40 a gram, and compulsive users can spend thousands of pounds a month, often turning to crime. And it's not just the bank balance that's at risk.

Research from America, where one in 10 of the population is thought to have snorted cocaine, suggests it is far from safe. Cocaine accounts for half of all drug-related deaths in the US, with the chances of dying (typically from a direct toxic effect on the heart causing it to beat irregularly, convulsions and brain damage) estimated at around one in 2,000 for every 12 months of use.

There is also a strong link with mental illness. Cocaine users are more likely to develop psychoses such as schizophrenia and depression. One American study found traces of cocaine in one in five New Yorkers who had committed suicide.

Cocaine abuse in Britain is not yet as big a problem as it is in the States, but more than 600,000 people have taken the drug at least once in the past 12 months. At the current rate of growth, it won't be long before we catch up.

For free, confidential information and advice on cocaine, or any other drug, contact the National Drugs Helpline on 0800 776600.