Alcohol and Cocaine

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Alcohol and Cocaine

• Meg Wright

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PREVALENCE IN SCOTLAND

• Alcohol - 50 of men 30 of women consume more
  than recommended limit.
• Scotland has the 8th highest alcohol consumption
  rate in the world
• Many social, health and economic problems as a
  result

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PREVALENCE IN SCOTLAND

• Cocaine use in Scotland is the 3rd highest in
  Europe
• 75 of cocaine users use alcohol - independently
  and also while using cocaine
• Harm from using both is greater than using either
  separately

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EFFECTS of MIX

• Physical
• Liver produces COCAETHYLENE
• 30 increase in blood levels of cocaine if
  alcohol taken at same time or just before
• Increase in heart rate and blood pressure
• Increase load on the heart can lead to sudden
  cardiac death

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EFFECTS of Mix

• Psychological
• Alcohol is a depressant, cocaine a stimulant
  people feel they can drink more
• More euphoric and rewarding leading to increased
  high
• Feelings of wellbeing
• Co-dependency

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EFFECTS of Mix

• Behavioural
• Increase in physical violence
• Increase in risk taking behaviours
• Increase in impulsive decision making
• Reduced memory and ability to learn

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Typical alcohol and cocaine user

• Recreational not seen as a problem, not taboo
• Seen as a glamorous sociable activity
• Educated/Aspirational/Affluent/Employed
• Addiction related to lifestyle, culture,
  availability, pressures of work and status

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Outcome for users

• Spiral into unemployment, debt, poverty
• Breakdown of relationships
• Child protection issues
• Collapse of self-esteem
• Criminal record
• Poor health
• Paranoia/anxiety/mental health issues

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Case Study

• 37 year old male, employed
• Consumes 32-35 units in one session
• Started taking cocaine to last the pace and keep
  awake
• Cocaine stopped him feeling depressed and
  worrying about money problems
• Got arrested best thing ever happened to him
• Rude awakening abstinent from alcohol and
  cocaine for last five months

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Case Study

• 32 year old male, employed, homeowner
• Strongly into image, appearance, suntan lounge
• Spends 300-600 a w/end on cocaine and alcohol
• Takes116 units of alcohol and 2-3 grams of
  cocaine a weekend
• Dont think youre drunk, think youre cool
• Involved in fighting - broken teeth, black eyes
• Problems with work Tired, depressed and paranoid
  
• In alcohol counselling allied to motivational
  interviewing, stress management and anger
  management

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Case Study

• 20 year old male from deprived area, unemployed
• Drank heavily along with frequent use of cocaine
• Motivating factor - boredom the combination gave
  him a greater buzz
• Made him feel happy and upbeat about his life
• Began having seizures, which stopped immediately
  he ceased using cocaine
• Still drinking, but not as heavily
• Receiving counselling

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Conclusions

• Potentially lethal combination within a
  relatively short period of time
• Use of these two substances would appear to be
  increasing
• Often used as part of a lifestyle and not as a
  response to deep underlying causes
• Other problems e.g. criminal record, abuse,
  unemployment, tend to follow on from the use of
  the substances and not the other way around

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Conclusions

• Important for assessment and screening to picks
  up dependency on both
• Staff have to be empowered and trained to deal
  with both substances
• More research has to be carried out into the
  combined effects of both and to treat them as
  their joint use increases