The Health Research Board (HRB) disclosed recently that there’s been a significant rise in the usage of cocaine by females, in addition to the most significant amount of drug treatment instances ever documented in the relative year. Responding to these worrying statistics, Alan Kelly, a Labour TD, expressed his disconcertion that the consumption of illicit drugs appears to be increasingly perceived as tolerable within the Irish populace. He urged the government to spearhead a campaign, along with other entities, to correct this misleading perception.
According to Kelly, there’s a major concern about the emerging trend, particularly among the so-called middle-class citizens, who seem to be promoting the narrative that using cocaine is acceptable.
We had an opportunity to have a chat with various women, enquiring about their individual experiences with the prohibited substance. Emma, a pseudonym, is a woman in her late thirties who admits to using cocaine occasionally, a decrease from her previous use.
From her experience, indulging in cocaine sets you up for a long night, with perhaps a 6am wind down, something she struggles to juggle with the responsibility of taking care of children the following day. As a result, her open opportunities to the substance are relatively less, owing to her family commitments. She typifies herself as a responsible individual, working mother and wife who dispels the common misunderstanding that recreational drug users are misfits in society.
Emma discloses that she and her spouse occasionally partake in cocaine, although she asserts that her fears aren’t rooted in any possible repercussions directly attributed to the drug itself. She is more concerned about the unpleasant hangovers the drug elicits.
Emma is cognisant of the criminal activity propelled by drug trafficking, and maintains the opinion that the use of cocaine should be decriminalised. She believes the legal system that makes its usage illegal is the underlying problem, and insists she has no qualms about becoming addicted, with no intentions for ceasing its usage.
Sophie*, a woman in her early thirties, began her acquaintance with cocaine at the age of 26. Her first experience was at a social gathering in someone’s home, an event during which she didn’t give the decision much thought. Preceding her drug experimentation, Sophie had been consuming alcohol which seemingly led her to feel a mix of heightened confidence and anxiety. Despite this, she maintains that she never engaged in regrettable actions during her drug-induced state.
Her introduction to cocaine had been a couple of years prior, in a professional setting, when fellow workers and a senior offered her the drug during an after-work celebration. While she accesses cocaine only occasionally every year through her circle of acquaintances, Sophie affirms that she isn’t intimidated by the prospect of purchasing from a dealer directly. Her observation has been that such dealers are regular individuals, unassociated with criminal activities.
Sophie’s drug journey has been marked by a near-fatal overdose incident involving a party attendee. Despite this scary encounter, she found herself returning to cocaine about six months later. She attributes her oblivious disregard of an overdose risk to her pre-use alcohol habits. Sophie exclusively uses cocaine in an intoxicated state and feels that it’s surprisingly affordable at €60-€80 per gram considering her income.
However, her most recent lapse in use has persisted due to her disdain about the dark industry surrounding the drug, even though she doesn’t rule out its use in the future.
However, we also meet Olive*, a lady in her forties, who turned to cocaine in the aftermath of a personal loss. She sunk into heavy drinking and fell into a new clique who used cocaine frequently. Olive, then in her mid-twenties, participated in their weekend cocaine sessions for a few years though she didn’t acknowledge an issue since she didn’t personally procure the drug.
Olive turned to cocaine as she found it significantly boosted her confidence and caused her to feel tremendously exhilarated unlike the vulnerability she experienced while consuming alcohol. On the controlled highs of the narcotic, Olive would spend the night out till the early morning, engaging in intimate relations with one of her associates and reveled in these experiences. The so-called ‘comedowns’, typically experienced after a cocaine high, didn’t trouble her. Occasionally she would lose herself on a ‘two-day bender’ spending the entire Sunday night out and would turn up to work on Monday, driving herself while keeping her extra-curricular activities a secret.
In one incident, she found herself in a traditional pub alongside friends. They decided to indulge in cocaine amidst the setting of a carvery lunch and older patrons enjoying their drinks. However, Olive wasn’t able to get the same high and found the experience lacking. It also led to her realising that her friends were heading towards habitual use while she only considered cocaine as a party accessory.
Olive states that she never considered who she might be supporting financially through her drug use, any possible dangers or the potential illicit aspects. She had a sense of security in her choice as she only consumed the substance with this friend group and trusted them. According to her, they were quite affluent and likely purchased high-quality product.
After relocating to the UK for some time, Olive met her now partner, a fellow Irish national. An incident occurred one night when they were out and the opportunity to take cocaine came up but Olive had a unique reaction. Witnessing the change, her partner gave her an ultimatum – quit cocaine or lose him. Consequently, Olive chose to stop her cocaine usage.
Years later, the couple moved back to Dublin, Ireland and started a family. Olive remained clean and, while she’s considered using again, doesn’t think that she will go back to cocaine.
The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland’s Addiction Faculty Chair, Prof Bobby Smyth, expresses his primary worry with cocaine use is that individuals may be unable to manage their connection with the substance leading to addiction. He cautions that regular cocaine utilization can result in addiction for a third of these users.
Prof. Smyth elucidates that usage of drugs such as cocaine could put individuals at a heightened vulnerability for strokes and heart attacks, especially seen in emergency cases involving younger demographics. It’s suspected to be a significant factor in the prevalence of cardiovascular issues noted in younger individuals.
Furthermore, cocaine intensifies any pre-existing mental health disorders. Prof. Smyth relates that the drug tends to drain the brain of its ‘happy chemicals’, making the subsequent week tougher for frequent weekend users due to the diminished levels of these natural mood elevators.
Moreover, cocaine can prompt unpredictable or unsafe behaviour. Prof. Smyth explains that intoxicated individuals, under the effect of inhibited judgements, may resort to dangerous or impulsive actions, potentially leading to self-inflicted harm or even violent acts toward others.
Cocaine also inflicts damage to the nose, according to Prof. Smyth. The compound has the ability to constrict the blood vessels in the nose and numb this area. Consequently, whatever substance the cocaine is mixed with, the user doesn’t feel anything while snorting, which can result in unnoticed, unintentional harm. As it deteriorates the blood vessels, it hinders their recovery. In severe scenarios, this can lead to the disintegration of the septum- the partition separating one nostril from the other.
*Some names have been altered in the report.