sparkchaser

London named 'cocaine capital' of Europe for second year running

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/healt...-a3260401.html

London is the cocaine capital of Europe for the second year running, an official study of drug concentrations in sewage reveals.

The capital saw an increase in traces of the Class A substance – one of few cities in the world to see such a rise.

Research also found that ecstasy is making a comeback as the drug of choice among young people.

Analysis by the EU's drug monitoring agency showed the average daily concentration of cocaine in London's wastewater was 909mg per 1,000 people last year - up from 737mg in 2014.

The next closest level was 642mg in Amsterdam. When weekend samples only are taken into account, the concentration for London rises to 1044, according to the figures.

Over five years there has been a "stable picture" of cocaine use around the continent, according to the study published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

It added: "Most cities show either a decreasing or a stable trend between 2011 and 2015, but in a few cases, in particular Brussels and London, an increase in BE loads was observed in this period."

Cocaine is the most commonly used illicit stimulant drug in Europe, with an estimated 2.4 million young adults between 15 and 34 having taken the drug in the last year.

Meanwhile, experts highlighted evidence of a "resurgence" in the use of MDMA - commonly known as ecstasy - around Europe after a decline from peak levels seen in the early to mid 2000s.

Figures published last year for England and Wales showed a "statistically significant" rise in the proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds reporting ecstasy use in the last year, up from 3.9 per cent in 2013/14 to 5.4 per cent in 2014/15.

Europe-wide, 2.1 million young adults are estimated to have taken the drug in the previous 12 months.

In another report published on Tuesday, the EU agency said current indications suggest that in countries with higher prevalence the use of MDMA is "no longer a niche or subcultural drug".

"It is not limited to dance clubs and parties, but is used by a wider range of young people in mainstream nightlife settings such as bars and house parties," the study said.

Amsterdam needs to get off its butt and reclaim the crown.

PalenQ

Ah don't do coke -just don't have the nose for it!

Cocaine should be legal like it was until the last century I believe - a harmless drug if used in moderation - doesn't last that long - just tell the dancers not to forget to drink lots of fluids.

Now crack cocaine is a very different creature that is not so benign I believe.

Jay_G

London has always had a history of high cocaine use, I believe that something approaching 99% (yes, I know what they say about statistics) of banknotes in London have traces of cocaine on them within weeks of circulation.

There's a lot of it about and it's comparatively reasonably priced, if you go in for that sort of thing of course...

Not sure I agree with you Pal on legalising the Bolivian marching powder, despite its widespread use, it's still highly addictive and can (and has) ruined many lives. As you say, crack is even more addictive.

I also think you've mixed your metaphors (as it were) regarding dancers drinking lots of water. Coke isn't a dancing drug as such, MDMA is far more popular in the club scene and one should be careful not to drink too much water as this can remove valuable salts from your body and cause you serious problems, particularly if you're exerting yourself to some 200 bpm gabba...

sparkchaser

Jay_G, I like the cut of your jib.

"Bolivian marching powder" I am going to have to start calling it that.


IIRC, the US also has a ridiculous amount of bills with traces of coke on them.

bvlenci

Amsterdam will get its title back after the Brexit.

It's not true that crack is more addictive than cocaine. The main difference was in the skin color of the average user, and guess which one got prosecuted more severely? Read this very informative article on the subject, especially the enlightening third point.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...100900751.html

IMDonehere

The drive by shootings, associated with the drugs, are still on the wrong side of the street.

Jay_G

*doffs cap to sparkchaser

Thanks for the article bvlenci, interesting reading there. I was aware of how crack was demonised in the US and the reasons behind it, but was always under the impression that it was actually more addictive.

I'd always been (ahem) told that smoking cocaine actually makes it reach your brain faster than snorting it, kicking off the receptors more quickly and making it more addictive (and effective) than snorting the devil's dandruff, but I stand corrected.

I'll go to bed less stupid today.

bilboburgler

given the poppy based "medically prescribed" problems of the USA for pain relief and the damage that the "war on drugs" has had on international pain relief ourside the USA I think London is doing pretty well.

bilboburgler

I knew I missed something, where should I have put "George Bush's" and "dumb [email protected]@ed" in the bit above?

IMDonehere

given the poppy based "medically prescribed" problems of the USA for pain relief and the damage that the "war on drugs" has had on international pain relief ourside the USA I think London is doing pretty well.

______________

Just another useless relative comparison.

Jay_G

bilbo - we're definitely more fortunate on this side of the pond that prescription opiates aren't anywhere near as big of a problem as they are in the US.

Prescribing drugs that are more addictive than heroin? A fool's errand if ever there was one.

bilboburgler

Jay amen.

You could write a list of American "celebrities" who have been pain relieved to death.

Christina

PalenQ, having lived in LA in the 1970s and 1980s and working in and knowing people in entertainment and music biz, I've known several people who were addicted to cocaine and lost fortunes to it and messed up their lives. The idea that cocaine is some harmless drug that should be legalized makes me wonder if you've ever known people who've used cocaine?

The fact that some other drug may be worse is irrelevant in terms of thinking that makes it okay.

Jay_G

bilbo - very true.

The amount of crime, addiction and all the attendant issues that come along with these pain relief drugs in the US is quite staggering from what I can gather.

pavot

Well, darn. I need new reading glasses.

I thought this was a thread about cake.

Jay_G

Pavot - you reminded me of a brilliant piece of satire by Chris Morris;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0tMvxV-GC4

So there's still cake in this thread if you want some and it's perfectly on topic for the discussion at hand.

pavot

Thanks for the link, Jay_G! I'll be watching more Brass Eye clips in the days to come. That was very funny.

(Except maybe for Rolf Harris....)

FranknSense

PalenQ, having lived in LA in the 1970s and 1980s and working in and knowing people in entertainment and music biz, I've known several people who were addicted to cocaine and lost fortunes to it and messed up their lives. The idea that cocaine is some harmless drug that should be legalized makes me wonder if you've ever known people who've used cocaine?

PalenQ

makes me wonder if you've ever known people who've used cocaine?

nanabee

Welcome back FrankS ...err... sorry I mean franknsense.

Any addictive drug whether narcotics, alcohol or tobacco are killers. We need more research on addiction and how to deal with it, locking people up is not working.