Party goers in cancer-risk cocaine warning

5:00pm Tuesday 18th December 2007

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PARTY goers and clubbers across Lancashire who take cocaine could be at risk of cancer, police have warned.

Officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit said that the drug is increasingly being cut with a banned painkiller called Phenacetin, which has been linked to kidney and liver cancers.

Although there has been no reported incidents in the county police say the painkiller is now the number one cutting agent used by cocaine dealers to bulk out the drug.

It has a numbing effect similar to cocaine, which means it is difficult for people to tell it is impure.

Cocaine makes your heart beat faster, it can cause blood vessels near the heart to become narrow or close, which could lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

The drug makes your body temperature rise, which can lead to overheating and the risk of a seizure or fit.

The risk increases when the drug is mixed with other drugs such as ecstasy and amphetamine (speed).

Snorting cocaine also damages the nasal passage and can cause nosebleeds.

People are also at risk of contracting bloodbourn viruses if they share snorting paraphernalia.

Superintendent Dave Brian from Lancashire Constabulary's Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) said: "The average purity of street cocaine used to be higher.

"We are now finding it to contain more of the harmful adulterants added by dealers in order to increase their profits.

"We would urge pub owners and licensees to adopt a zero tolerance approach to people taking or dealing any type of drugs in their premises."

Lancashire Drug and Alcohol Action Team strategic director Tom Woodcock added: "Cocaine use causes a whole host of health and social problems, but there is help available through local drugs services for people who are finding cocaine a difficult problem to break."

For further information call the drugline helpline number on 01772 825492.