Medics warn cocaine users are at risk of losing their noses
People who partake in cocaine use better listen up.
Doctors in the United Kingdom are warning aficionados of the white dust to quit it otherwise they might end up ruining their nose.
So that numb schnoz feeling? Yeah, it could be permanent.
Nasal reconstructive surgeon specialist at University Hospital Monklands Nicholas Calder told the BBC: "The number of patients we are treating is increasing year on year and patients come to us from a cross section of the population."
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Ear, Nose, and Throat surgeon Natarajan Balaji, who is also the president of the British Society of Facial Plastic Surgery, revealed cocaine is often cut with some pretty disgusting substances that you might not want up your nose.
"Cocaine is cut with other ingredients including Levamisole, which is used in deworming tablets for dogs and cats, and Phenacetin, an analgesic and fever-reducing drug used in veterinary medicine," he explained to the BBC.
"Cocaine also has certain types of acids mixed with the ingredients. When snorted, cocaine causes the blood vessels to contract very strongly, and the nasal septum is very sensitive to reduced blood flow.
"After using cocaine a few times, the nasal structure can begin to die, causing perforations."
One patient named Fraser, surname withheld, told the BBC about how he lost his entire nose thanks to a few too many nights on the Charlie.
But, thanks to Dr Balaji, his face has been saved.
"Having been told I would lose my nose and to then be told they would be able to rebuild it was incredible," Fraser said.
He had been looking down the barrel of a life with a prosthetic nose.
But, luckily, he was able to dodge that one... by a nose.
"I am extremely lucky and have changed my life but my story could have been very different and I could be going to bed at night removing my prosthetic nose," he said.
In the UK, approximately 9.2 per cent of Brits aged 16 to 59 years admitted to taking a Class A drug in the last year, according to the Office of National Statistics.
As for people in Australia, they were found to have the highest rate of cocaine use per capita.
The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) estimates that around 5.6 tonnes of cocaine was consumed last year in Australia.
ACIC wastewater analysis also showed that Sydney consumed 15 doses of cocaine per 1,000 people, on average and per day last year.
And that is one Aussie city. Yikes.
So, everyone, heed your warning: you're just cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Rachel Lang