SYDNEY, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- After analyzing 884 cocaine-related deaths in Australia between 2000 and 2021, researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) detected a large increase since 2012, especially with 398 known deaths in the last five years.
The study, recently published in the Addiction journal, examined data from the National Coronial Information System, a database of medicolegal death investigation records provided by the coroners' courts in Australia and New Zealand.
According to the study, Australia's cocaine-related mortality rate did not significantly increase over the 2001-2011 period, but saw a marked acceleration from 2012 onward.
"These deaths are largely due to more widespread use of cocaine," Shane Darke, lead author and professor from UNSW Sydney's National Drug and Alcohol Research Center, said on Tuesday.
The expert said that the research team found clinically significant changes in case profiles, which suggest a broadening of those who use cocaine and its associated harm.
"Twenty years ago, 90 percent of cocaine deaths had a history of substance use problems. Now that figure is much lower at 50 percent," Darke said, adding that as cocaine use expands, the focus of intervention must adapt to reflect the changing profiles of those at risk.
Of the 884 cases examined, the most prevalent cause of death was unintentional drug toxicity (70 percent) and generally involved cardiovascular events, while alcohol was present in close to half of the reported deaths.
"Alcohol intensifies the effects of cocaine, making the drug more toxic, so this is a particularly dangerous combination," said Darke, warning that cocaine can lead to heart attacks and stroke, and see people become highly activated, impulsive, disinhibited and engage in risky behavior. ■