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London and North West top the list for the presence of cocaethylene
Cocaine
Cocaine and alcohol mix responsible for rise in heart attacks among under 40s
Nearly half of all cocaine users in England are testing positive for cocaethylene, a heart attack-inducing chemical produced by mixing the drug with alcohol, according to new research. This proves particularly pertinent to the gay community, as research suggests gay and bisexual men are three times more likely to take drugs than their straight counterparts.
The chemical, believed to be responsible for the increase in heart attacks among the under 40s, builds up over a number of years in the livers of cocaine users who drink alcohol to excess. In tests on mice, its lethality has been shown to be greater than cocaine or alcohol because it exerts more cardiovascular toxicity than either drug alone.
Researchers at Trimega Laboratories screened for substance abuse using the hair samples of 1,728 donors nationwide and found cocaine to be present in 344 (20%). Of these, 45% also tested positive to cocaethylene, but there were some distinct regional variations within England.
Presence of cocaethylene in cocaine users:
- North West 60%
- London 59%
- North East 54%
- Average 45%
- East Midlands 43%
- South East 35%
- South West 30%
- West Midlands 22%
