A briefing paper on the metabolite that is produced from the combined consumption of alcohol and cocaine, cocaethylene, has been produced by the AERC Alcohol Academy.  The combined consumption of both substances simultaneously has become increasingly popular but the paper highlights that the awareness of cocaethylene and its associated risks are low, calling for the need for further research and policy recognition.  Read the paper here.

There is evidently more and more interest in the health issues arising when cocaine and alcohol are combined as some of our Cocaethylene hair drug testing data was published in yesterday’s Observer. Watch out for more on this site about the regional breakdown of stats as we map out the extent of the problem in the UK.

News from the regions reaches us with a West Midlands community safety campaign warning about the dangers of mixing alcohol and cocaine, saying that cocaethylene increases the risk of sudden death by 18 times. Clearly this shows there are growing concerns about this combination of substance abuse over the festive period.

More on the rising tide of danger presented by cocaethylene in this story using NHS figures to show that cocaine addiction among the young has risen by three quarters in just three years. Our own research from Trimega Laboratories’ hair drug testing programme, which we are about to publish, shows that 45% of cocaine users test positive to cocaethylene. In some parts of the country it is as high as 60%.

No sooner than cocaine mixed with alcohol is highlighted in the UK press as a heart attack-inducing cocktail (Cocaethylene ) but another drug is reported to pose similar dangers. Street name = ‘Bubble’ / trade name = ‘mephedrone’ is a plant fertilizer that can cause severe nose bleeds, hallucinations, blood circulation problems, rashes, anxiety and paranoia, but - taken with alcohol – can create a toxic mixture that may result in death.