Cocaine use causes many deaths in the United States. It has probably contributed to many more. Many of these deaths are due to cocaine's effect on the heart. Some of these potentially fatal complications can occur in a first-time user. Older individuals with abnormal coronary arteries and diseased cerebral vessels are at even greater risk.
Cocaine is doubly dangerous for pregnant women.
Not only can it cause cardiovascular complications for her, but evidence is accumulating that cocaine can cause birth defects in the unborn child. Today, law enforcement agencies and the medical community recognize cocaine as one of the most dangerous illicit drugs in common use. Because of its increasing popularity and availability, the number of cocaine-related cardiovascular disabilities and deaths may be expected to increase. Injecting drugs into the veins can result in an infection of the heart or blood vessels, called endocarditis . Treatment of the infection requires a hospital stay and medication for several weeks.