The French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies (OFDT) has just published its report on the evolution of the supply and consumption of cocaine in France over the period 2000-2022. This report reveals an increase in cocaine consumption in France associated with an increase in emergency room visits related to cocaine use. Explanations.
A strong and continuous increase in cocaine consumption
The OFDT, Santé Publique France and the addictovigilance network worked together to draw up a state of cocaine use in France over the period from 2000 to 2022. In a global context of increasing production of this drug, it is important to collect data on consumption and the health consequences of the use of this drug on French territory.
The report shows a sharp and continuous increase in cocaine use, whatever the form of the drug, associated with a diversification of consumer profiles. Between 2015 and 2019, the number of people treated for cocaine use also increased in addiction care, support and prevention centers (CSAPA). By taking into account the emergency room visits in connection with the use of cocaine, the data also show an increase in all French regions, even if strong regional disparities persist.
Cocaine often associated with other addictive substances
While the number of emergency room visits related to the use of this drug stabilized between 2018 and 2021, the increase was very significant from 2021 to 2022. Over the entire 2010-2022 period, more than 23,000 emergency visits have been identified in France. Patients admitted were:
- Most often men (75% of cases);
- With an average age of 32;
- The diagnosis was mostly poisoning (65% of cases).
Visits to the emergency room concerned to a lesser extent patients dependent on cocaine (13% of cases) or in the process of withdrawal (7.5% of cases). Cocaine use was rarely isolated, patients often having polydrug habits:
- 33% with alcohol;
- 9.6% with benzodiazepines;
- 9.5% with cannabis;
- 4.8% with opioids.
In the face of cocaine, prevention is essential
On the side of the symptoms justifying admission to the emergency room, were mainly found heart signs (chest pain, palpitations, tachycardia) and psychiatric disorders (agitation, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia). These symptoms are unfortunately common complications of cocaine use. For the authors of the report, the increase in consumption and emergency room visits is not only linked to an increase in the number of consumers.
Other phenomena may explain this trend, in particular the circulation of cocaine with higher levels of active principle, the arrival of new, more toxic synthetic products or even the association of cocaine with alcohol. Another sign of rising consumption is the use of Device Drugs Info Service, which is increasingly requested by all those who are confronted with the problem of drugs. This national remote assistance service is a tool accessible via the Internet (www.drogues-info-service.fr) and by telephone on 0 800 23 13 13, 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., anonymous and free call from a landline or a cell phone. Prevention remains essential in the face of this major public health issue.
Estelle B., Doctor of Pharmacy
Sources
Sources
– Cocaine: a booming market – Developments and trends in France. www.ofdt.fr. Accessed March 29, 2023.