increase in the number of sudden deaths among 21 to 45 year olds in Spain is being blamed on cocaine.

13:59 increase in the number of sudden deaths among 21 to 45 year olds in Spain is being blamed on cocaine. 0 Comments

A team of Andaulcian scientists, led by Joaquín Lucena at the Legal Medicine Institute in Sevilla, has concluded after studying 2,477 autopsies that 3% of such deaths are caused by cocaine use. The drug can lead to heart attacks and also premature coronary atherosclerosis. Their research showed that of the 668 cases of cardiovascular sudden death, 21 cases showed cocaine use.

El Mundo reports that 7% of the national population uses the drug, most of the users are aged 15 to 34, and experts say users continue to think the drug is harmless.

An article on the subject has been printed in the European Heart Journal which also quotes the research of two top scientists from the University of Texas in the field. It says that cocaine abuse is an increasing and under estimated European public health problem.