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| Doctors' concern over cocaine use | Doctors' concern over cocaine use |
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| Doctors at Wales' largest casualty department have expressed concerns over the number of patients suffering side-effects from cocaine use. | Doctors at Wales' largest casualty department have expressed concerns over the number of patients suffering side-effects from cocaine use. |
| Official estimates show the five per cent of adults in Wales have used the drug, more than the UK average. | Official estimates show the five per cent of adults in Wales have used the drug, more than the UK average. |
| Accident and emergency consultant Rupert Evans said more people were coming into the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff because of the drug. | Accident and emergency consultant Rupert Evans said more people were coming into the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff because of the drug. |
| One user said the cheaper cost of the cocaine made it more accessible. | One user said the cheaper cost of the cocaine made it more accessible. |
| Its use has increased four-fold across England and Wales in the past decade, according to official figures. | Its use has increased four-fold across England and Wales in the past decade, according to official figures. |
| Mr Evans told the BBC Wales programme Eye on Wales the problem of adverse reactions from cocaine usage was becoming more prevalent among patients coming to the A&E unit in Cardiff. | Mr Evans told the BBC Wales programme Eye on Wales the problem of adverse reactions from cocaine usage was becoming more prevalent among patients coming to the A&E unit in Cardiff. |
| Nowadays you can get a gramme of coke for about £35 Cocaine user | Nowadays you can get a gramme of coke for about £35 Cocaine user |
| "It's definitely on the increase. You can get acute brain effects so people can be very agitated," he said. | "It's definitely on the increase. You can get acute brain effects so people can be very agitated," he said. |
| "You can then have cardiac effects so the effects on the heart are very serious - you get pulse increases, your blood pressure goes up very high to the extent that it can put you at risk or having a heart attack." | "You can then have cardiac effects so the effects on the heart are very serious - you get pulse increases, your blood pressure goes up very high to the extent that it can put you at risk or having a heart attack." |
| One man who uses the drug told Eye on Wales: "In my opinion I would say [cocaine] is 150% more prevalent than it used to be. | One man who uses the drug told Eye on Wales: "In my opinion I would say [cocaine] is 150% more prevalent than it used to be. |
| "So many people I know are doing it. For me it's a shock. | "So many people I know are doing it. For me it's a shock. |
| "It was always very expensive, that's what put people off, but nowadays you can get a gramme of coke for about £35." | "It was always very expensive, that's what put people off, but nowadays you can get a gramme of coke for about £35." |
| He said he was not concerned about the potential health risks of the drug, adding: "I'm going to go at some point so I'd rather enjoy my life that I have now." | He said he was not concerned about the potential health risks of the drug, adding: "I'm going to go at some point so I'd rather enjoy my life that I have now." |
| Treatment | Treatment |
| Drug charity Turning Point runs the only dedicated project in Wales for cocaine and its derivative crack. | Drug charity Turning Point runs the only dedicated project in Wales for cocaine and its derivative crack. |
| Project manager Glyn Davies said cocaine users were not always aware of the help that was on offer. | Project manager Glyn Davies said cocaine users were not always aware of the help that was on offer. |
| "Services are not marketed in what they offer to crack cocaine users, so it's a chicken and egg situation - if you don't get people coming through the door, then you don't have the statistics to prove the need for the service," he said. | "Services are not marketed in what they offer to crack cocaine users, so it's a chicken and egg situation - if you don't get people coming through the door, then you don't have the statistics to prove the need for the service," he said. |
| "There are a lot more people and crack cocaine users out in the community who are not accessing treatment and these are people that we need to get out and reach." | "There are a lot more people and crack cocaine users out in the community who are not accessing treatment and these are people that we need to get out and reach." |
| Plaid Cymrus's social justice spokeswoman Leanne Wood said the assembly government has no way of measuring how effective drug reduction policies are, despite a commitment four years ago to reduce usage in Wales. | |
| "The problem is back in 2002 when those targets were set, there was no benchmark data to measure against. | "The problem is back in 2002 when those targets were set, there was no benchmark data to measure against. |
| "Now were in a situation where we can't measure at all whether or not these targets have been met," she said. | "Now were in a situation where we can't measure at all whether or not these targets have been met," she said. |
| Ms Wood added when she asked in a recent letter to Social Justice Minister Edwina Hart how much drug usage had dropped by, the minister replied the information was not collected. | Ms Wood added when she asked in a recent letter to Social Justice Minister Edwina Hart how much drug usage had dropped by, the minister replied the information was not collected. |
| Ms Hart did not respond to Eye on Wales' requests for information on how accurate government figures on cocaine and crack cocaine usage were. | Ms Hart did not respond to Eye on Wales' requests for information on how accurate government figures on cocaine and crack cocaine usage were. |
| Eye on Wales is broadcast on Monday, 23 October at 1800BST on Radio Wales. | Eye on Wales is broadcast on Monday, 23 October at 1800BST on Radio Wales. |