Cocaine Health Risks Report: Blood-borne Diseases

blood cells

When abusing drugs, no one ever plans to become an addict. And no one ever plans to fall victim to a blood-borne disease associated with their cocaine abuse. Cocaine users can acquire blood-borne illnesses even if they never inject the drug. Of course, if they do inject the drug, they increase their risk.

In 2013, a new report on the likelihood of cocaine users being infected by HIV, stating that cocaine abuse boosted the spread of the virus through the cells. One reference noted that blood-borne diseases like Hepatitis C can be transmitted by sharing a straw or dollar bill for snorting powdered cocaine.

Crack Cocaine Has Its Own Risks

person using crack cocaine

While personal deterioration occurs with any drug abuse, it is quite pronounced when a person abuses crack cocaine. The cravings for this drug are so intense that one’s personal moral code is abandoned in favor of whatever it takes to get more of the drug. For too many women and men alike, this can mean that they resort to prostitution which carries a serious and continuous risk of sexually transmitted diseases. In a Brazilian study, these diseases included Hepatitis B and C, HIV and syphilis.

It can look so harmless to use a little cocaine along with one’s friends. But aside from the risk of addiction, acquiring a permanent and even deadly illness can make using cocaine the worst decision you ever made.


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AUTHOR

Sue Birkenshaw

Sue has worked in the addiction field with the Narconon network for three decades. She has developed and administered drug prevention programs worldwide and worked with numerous drug rehabilitation centers over the years. Sue is also a fine artist and painter, who enjoys traveling the world which continues to provide unlimited inspiration for her work. You can follow Sue on Twitter, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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