Cocaine use has become commonplace in France in recent years and affects all walks of life. This drug remains a highly addictive substance which can lead to serious risks for the consumer but also for the people around him.
After the tragic accident caused by the actor Pierre Palmade last Friday, “I hope that we will rise to try to move forward on many points”, in particular “the problem of addictions”, declares on BFMTV William Lowenstein, psychiatrist, addictologist and president of SOS Addictions.
The issues of drug use have indeed been at the heart of the news since the car accident caused by the comedian on Friday, who tested positive for cocaine. Three people were seriously injured in the shock, two are still in intensive care, including a six-year-old boy who was “disfigured”.
“The fact that this drama affects a famous person today can bring the subject to the public square, make users aware of the risks they run” for them and for others, explains to BFMTV.com Jean-Michel Delile , psychiatrist and president of the Addiction Federation.
Cocaine “even in small towns”
This drama recalls the trivialization of the consumption of cocaine in recent years in France. This drug was previously, in people’s minds, reserved for the world of show business, but “it’s been several years since it goes far beyond the middle of the jet-set”, explains Jean-Michel Delile.
“Until a relatively short time ago, there were cocaine shots only in the big cities”, but today “you find it in medium-sized towns, even in small towns” and in all circles abound on our antenna Bertrand Lebeau Leibovici, addictologist doctorvice-president of SOS Addiction.
“For several years, we have witnessed a sharp increase in cocaine consumption in France”, also writes the MILDECA (Interministerial mission for the fight against drugs and addictive behavior.
The incidence of drugs is thus observed in road accidents, “it is an unfortunately banal phenomenon”, says Romy Collard-Lafond, lawyer for road victims, on BFMTV.
She protests in passing that it is necessary “for a celebrity to be the cause of a dramatic accident for us to be revolted, indignant at the carnage that drugs are likely to cause behind the wheel.” It would be necessary “that the public authorities finally take hold of this reality, because drug driving is a scourge, just like drunk driving is one”.
“Prevention, risk reduction”
Si des hashtags #CocainePrevention have been launched on social networks by the authorities, there are indeed no large-scale campaigns to warn of the dangers of this drug. “There has always been a reluctance in France to launch campaigns for something that is prohibited,” explains Jean-Michel Delile.
But we must “take advantage of this affair, which is really a horrible affair” to give “addiction medicine the means to develop”, launches Bertrand Lebeau Leibovici, “that is to say prevention, the reduction of risks”.
As a reminder, the consumption of cocaine can cause significant cardiovascular risks but also cognitive disorders. Jean-Michel Delile also mentions the psychic complications “such as paranoia attacks or major anxiety attacks” which are observed among regular consumers.
Cocaine can also lead to risky behavior because it increases the user’s self-confidence. If he takes the car, for example, he may go much faster than usual, or exhibit dangerous aggressive behavior.
“Human tragedies that we must avoid by all means”
Cocaine is “powerfully addictive”, recalls Jean-Michel Delile, and you must seek help from associations and addiction professionals in the event of addiction. The psychiatrist stresses that to get out of addiction it is important to understand why the person has become addicted, otherwise they risk falling back into addiction.
Government spokesman Olivier Véran said on Tuesday that there was no “social” or “political” tolerance for drugs like cocaine. “Drugs, cocaine, opiates, are extremely dangerous drugs with an extremely powerful addictive power and which lead to human tragedies that we must avoid by all means”. He also reiterated the goal of doubling drug-driving checks.
“These are objectives that do not date from yesterday. We are increasing the number of checks, because nearly one in five deaths linked to a road accident is linked to the taking of narcotics. It is 700 deaths per year, two a day”, he lamented.
