What is Cocaethylene?

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Simply put, cocaine+ alcohol=cocaethylene and it is created in your liver.

Cocaethylene is a psychoactive substance made when alcohol and cocaine are taken together. It develops in the liver when cocaine is broken down differently when alcohol is present. When you keep drinking alcohol, your liver can’t get rid of Cocaethylene as well, and it passes into the bloodstream where it can affect your other organs.

How do I know if Cocaethylene is in my system?

You don’t! One of the most frightening things about Cocaethylene, is that you are unaware that it is travelling through your system. But if you take both cocaine and alcohol together, Cocaethylene is created when the two are broken down in your body. You can’t see how it is affecting your mind and body and you can’t see it affecting someone else either.

How can cocaethylene affect me?

Studies show that Cocaethylene toxicity is 30% more than Cocaine alone. As Cocaethylene begins to spread through your system, it can cause:

Increased blood pressure & heart rate
A greater risk of having a stroke
It can prevent the heart muscle from contracting
Can lead to liver damage

As Cocaethylene reaches the brain it can cause;

Impulsive urges
Reckless behaviour
Violence
Artificial disaster thoughts
Suicidal thoughts
Suicidal impulses
SUICIDE

Cocaethylene: The facts

When cocaine is taken with alcohol, the blood concentration of cocaine increases by approximately 20%. This places even greater strain on blood vessels and the heart, increasing blood pressure and making the heart work harder.

As with cocaine, Cocaethylene blocks the re-uptake of dopamine in the brain, associated with the mood-altering affects that can become addictive.

Once formed, Cocaethylene stays in the body three to five times longer than cocaine.

Alcohol and cocaine increase cortisol, commonly known as the stress hormone – over time, raised cortisol levels can damage the immune system, blood pressure, heart, brain function and more.

Increased media attention and reports suggest the suicide risk is much higher – in April 2019, a coroner found that Love Island star, Sophie Gradon, took her own life after consuming alcohol and cocaine. The coroner said that US research indicated that the combination of alcohol and cocaine could increase the risk of suicide by 16 times.

A Brown University study in the US in 2016 found that people who misused alcohol and cocaine together had 2.4 times the risk of suicide

Local support for you

Spark: Drug and Alcohol support for Adults

Alcohol and drugs support for people of all ages,
families and children in Blackburn with Darwen. Call 01254 495014 or visit their website.

Early Break: Drug and Alcohol support for Young People

If you’re a young person and have a family member who uses drugs or alcohol, Early Break offers support for the whole family. Visit their website.

Mental Health Crisis Line

Our Mental Health Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 0800 953 0110. Visit their website.

Samaritans: Listening service

To talk about anything that is upsetting you. 24/7 Call 116 123 (free from any phone), email jo@samaritans.org

Papyrus: Suicide prevention for under 35s

If you’re under 35 and struggling with suicidal feelings, or concerned about a young person who might be struggling. Call on 0800 068 4141, email pat@papyrus-uk.org, text 07786 209 697 or visit their website.

The Wish Centre: Domestic Abuse support

The Wish Centre support people who have suffered or who are at risk of suffering domestic abuse, through the provision of support, advice and accommodation. Call 0300 561 0440 or visit their website.

Further information

Ginger Heart Foundation

Raising awareness about cocaine and alcohol risks, supporting people with grief and trauma, and promoting health and wellbeing through a peer support network. Visit their website.

Co-Alc Alliance

The Co-Alc Alliance is an independent task group set up in January 2021 to increase awareness of increased risk of suicide in persons taking alcohol and cocaine together. Visit their website.

Gambling can be an enjoyable past time for many people but it can also cause a great deal of harm. There is help available if you or a loved one are experiencing issues yourself or if you have been affected by someone else’s gambling. If you or someone you know needs help, visit this page.

Domestic abuse and sexual violence can impact anyone, at any point in their life, regardless of their background, age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status or sexuality. For further information and support visit this page

Hub of Hope

Hub of Hope is a national mental health directory set up by Chasing the Stigma. Click on the link to the website to find services that are local to you.

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