Sharp rise in cocaine abuse among women

By Ellie Omahoney  on Wednesday 10 June 2009

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The number of women under 25 who admit to having taken cocaine has leapt by one third in the last three years to one in 15. The sharp increase has given rise to fears that women will soon overtake their male counterparts for cocaine use.

In 2003, 8.2% of men under 25 admitted to taking the drug as opposed to 4.8% of women. Just three years later, 7.3% of men said they had used cocaine while the number of women had shot up to 6.7%.

Jim McVeigh of Liverpool's John Moore University, who led the study, suggested the glamourising of cocaine could have something to do with its increased popularity amongst women. 'There is not the same stigma attached to it as with some other drugs. It is more socially acceptable, especially with celebrities helping to give it a glamorous image.'

Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse are amongst the high profile celebrities whose names have been linked to the drug in recent years.

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Wednesday 10 June 2009

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