Facts About Cocaine in Denmark
The word cocaine refers to a strong stimulant in a white powder or crystal form that is sold on the illicit market. In its crystal form, it is called crack cocaine. The powder is usually diluted with substances such as cornstarch, talcum powder, sugar or other drugs, such as procaine (a local anesthetic) or amphetamine. Many people know that cocaine was originally developed as a painkiller.
It’s estimated that more than 13.000 young adults (aged 16 to 34 years) in Denmark have used cocaine in the past year. Use of this drug presents dangers that young students and workers in Denmark know nothing about when their drug habit begins.
This story from an 18-year-old student in Denmark illustrates these dangers:
“It’s dark again and there is no reason to stop partying after we use cocaine. And when we finally had to sleep, we smoked loads of pot in order to relax and we just fell asleep all around this place. You certainly didn’t want to be alone or go home to your parents. And in a way, this was all we did. We worked weekdays and looked forward to Thursday. When Thursday came, we had a party and then we went to work half-doped on Friday, came home and continued. This was all we had on our minds. On Sunday, when we parted, we already looked forward to seeing each other next weekend and starting all over again. It’s a trap with no escape.”
A cocaine user is likely to suffer brain damage, although he will probably not know about the effects until the damage becomes severe. Scans of the brains of cocaine users compared with the brains of nonusers show that cocaine use narrows the arteries and veins in the brains. This is because of the fact that cocaine use causes arterial and vascular (vein) constriction.
The social and internal affairs minister of Denmark said:
“We need to step in early in regards to children and young people starting to use drugs.”
Denmark has the fourth-highest rate of cocaine use in Europe. Unlike other drugs, it’s popular at all levels of society, from prostitutes all the way up to bank managers, doctors, and lawyers.
The National Board of Health now warns that the ecstasy and cocaine available in Denmark have become stronger and are therefore more dangerous to consume.
Since 2010, cocaine use in Denmark has risen sharply, especially in urban areas like Copenhagen and Odense.
Another Danish student explained why the use of cocaine can so quickly become a habit:
“A few of my friends back at home have been hooked on it for quite a long time. I feel like it’s because when you come down, you feel like crap. You want to feel that happy ’up’ feeling again. So you just want to keep doing it and doing it. You never want to face the consequence of your comedown.”
As a strong stimulant, cocaine use places an incredible strain on the heart and arterial and vascular systems. Therefore, death can result from stroke, cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) or heart attack. Children of cocaine-addicted mothers may come into the world as addicts themselves. Cocaine can cause suffer birth defects and many other problems.
If you know someone with problems resulting from cocaine use or addiction, we can help. Please contact us.
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