The consumption of cocaine is becoming more democratic, it is a fact that the organization Public Health France deplores, which reveals data “ unpublished » on the passages to the emergency room in connection with this drug.
« The results from the data on visits to the emergency room (OSCOUR®) in connection with the use of cocaine highlight a strong and continuous increase over the period 2010-2022, regardless of the region. “, deplores Santé Public France, specifying that following a relative stabilization between 2018 and 2021, the data show a particularly strong increase between 2021 and 2022.
Between 2010 and 2022, 23,335 visits to the emergency room for cocaine were recorded. They mainly concerned men (75%) and the median age was 32 years. “ In 12 yearsthe passage rate has changed from 8.6 to 21.2 / 100,000 passages, i.e. a rate multiplied by more than 3. This represents on average in France, 72 emergency visits related to cocaine consumption per week in 2022 “, further indicates the public health organization.
If regional disparities have been highlighted, with higher rates of emergency visits for cocaine in Guyana, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region and Occitanie, all regions are affected by this increase.
Polyconsumption and stronger products
Santé Publique France also stipulates that these visits to the emergency room for cocaine presented associated diagnoses, linked to a alcohol poisoning (33% of cases), to benzodiazepines (9,6 %), au cannabis (9.5%) or opioids (4.8%), reflecting a polyconsumption profile. The organization believes that certain uses, such as polydrug use with alcohol, can increase the risk of poisoning, because it increases the duration and power of the psychoactive effects of these two drugs, as well as their cardiac toxicity.
The circulation of cocaine whose active ingredient content increasesor the emergence of new synthetic products (which can be sold as cocaine) may also explain the increase in poisonings.
The increasingly used Drugs-Info-Service system
Finally, the Santé Publique France organization adds that these increases in emergency room visits for cocaine are “ consistent » with the feedback from the Drugs-Info-Service system, « whose requests have been constantly increasing since 2010 ». « The number of calls, chats and Q&As citing cocaine is increased from 2,133 to 6,447 between 2010 and 2022 “, we read in the press release (Source 1). Difficulties in quitting, physical or mental ill-being, concerns regarding symptoms, requests for information and support are the main reasons for joining this service.
let’s remember that Drogues-Info-Service is both accessible via the internet at the address www.drogues-info-service.fr, but also by telephone at 0 800 23 13 13 (anonymous and free call, 7 days a week and from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.).
