DRUG DEATHS SPARK WARNING OVER COCAINE'S 'SEXY' IMAGE

FRESH warnings over cocaine's so-called "sexy" image were issued
today after Edinburgh's drugs tsar warned growing numbers of people
are dying as a result of using it.

Tom Wood said the number of drug deaths was likely to rise for the
second year in a row in the Capital because of a growing trend in
people mixing cocaine and alcohol.

Across the Lothians 57 drug-related deaths were recorded in 2005, up
from 36 the previous year. In Edinburgh the figure has more than
doubled from 17 to 38.

Cocaine was found to be present in the blood of 15 per cent of those who died.

However, over the last few months five cocaine users are understood
to have died in Edinburgh.

Mr Wood, head of the Edinburgh Drugs and Alcohol Action Team, said he
feared the trend would continue over the next few years.

He said: "We tend to associate teenagers with drug deaths, but the
reality now is many of the people dying are pegging out from chronic
alcohol and drug use.

"The big difference these days is the level of cocaine use which is going on.

More recreational drug users are switching to cocaine as they think
it's relatively harmless, sexy and showbiz. It has a celebrity,
wine-bar image, which is entirely wrong."

Related topic

* Drugs policy (http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=220)
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=220