Luke Mitcheson, a clinical psychologist at the Maudsley hospital in south London, agrees. One had a brain haemorrhage, another a heart attack and the others had developed such high blood pressure that they needed to be hospitalised. Cocaine can cause arteries to constrict, triggering an increase in blood pressure which can lead to internal haemorrhaging, strokes and heart attacks. Research published in June suggests the average age of heart attack sufferers is 44 among cocaine users and 61 in the general population. And there are other well-documented risks.
Regular use increases tolerance, so the user begins to take increasing amounts to achieve the hit.
This can lead to severe damage to the lining of the nose. Mood swings, paranoia and depression can persist for days after use, and users may need psychiatric treatment, as well as a spell in a drying-out clinic. Just because it's relatively expensive and people think it's exclusive, doesn't mean it can't kill you - and no one can say how much it's going to take to kill you. There is no safe dose. None of this is likely to stop people taking the drug, of course, given that recreational drug users tend to believe that a little of what they fancy will not hurt.