The consumption of cocaine has increased markedly in France for the past ten years, with a recent acceleration, the public health agency reported on Monday, based on data on emergency room visits.
“
These results highlight a strong and continuous increase over the period 2010-2022, regardless of the region
”, summarizes Public Health France, in a press release accompanying the publication of updated figures.
Purer products
According to the latter, 23,335 visits to the emergency room took place in connection with the consumption of cocaine between 2010 and 2022. This includes the different forms of the drug: powder, crack... Behind this overall figure, the health authorities note above all that these crossings have become more and more frequent.
“
After a period of relative stabilization between 2018 and 2021, the data show a particularly strong increase between 2021 and 2022
”, notes Public Health France.
"
The passages mainly concerned men - 75% - and the median age was 32 years, which corresponds to the profiles usually the most consumers within the general population
", specifies the agency.
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To explain the progression of these visits to the emergency room, Public Health France gives as its main hypothesis a general increase in the consumption of cocaine.
However, she believes that cases of intoxication could also become more frequent because of the circulation of more concentrated forms of cocaine.
It also evokes “
the emergence of new synthetic products (NPS) more powerful and toxic than the molecule whose effects they imitate
”.