Medical professionals in the United Kingdom are cautioning individuals who indulge in cocaine to quit using the drug, as it can cause severe damage to the nose.
The numb sensation that accompanies cocaine use can become permanent, and the number of patients requiring treatment for cocaine-related damage is increasing annually, according to Nicholas Calder, a nasal reconstructive surgeon at University Hospital Monklands.
Cocaine is frequently mixed with harmful substances such as Levamisole and Phenacetin, which are utilized in veterinary medicine. When snorted, cocaine induces blood vessels to constrict, resulting in a reduced blood supply to the nasal septum, causing damage and, in some cases, perforations. One patient described how he lost his entire nose due to cocaine use.
Individuals who use cocaine are urged to heed these warnings as the damage caused to the nose can be permanent.
In other news, according to a new report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, global cocaine production has surged to record levels due to a rebound in demand following Covid-19 lockdowns.
The report reveals that coca cultivation rose by 35% between 2020 and 2021, resulting in new trafficking hubs emerging in West and Central Africa.
Additionally, the report indicates that traffickers are increasingly using international postal services to distribute drugs to consumers.
Europe and North America continue to be the largest markets for cocaine, followed by South and Central America and the Caribbean.
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