Elderly people have been turning up to hospital after taking cocaine (Picture: Getty Images)
Pensioners are being treated for cocaine use in hospital including those in their 90s, figures reveal.
Those aged between 60 and 69 were admitted to hospital 540 times, while those aged between 70 and 79 were admitted 85 times.
Meanwhile, three between the age of 90 and 99 were admitted and 11 between the age of 80 and 89.
Many of these pensioners suffer seizures and overdoses from taking the Class A drug.
The increase in pensioners taking the drug has been dubbed ‘the rise of the silver snorters’.
Alarmingly two children under the age of nine were also treated for cocaine use who likely found the substance in their homes.
Overall between 2022 to 2023 there were 12,082 admissions to hospital because of cocaine use, up 6,680 cases a decade ago.
Dr Mateen Durrani, clinical expert at the UK Addiction Treatment Group, told The Sun: ‘As these figures suggest, cocaine use can have a detrimental impact on users of all ages.
Overall there has also been an increase in the number of people admitted to hospital after taking cocaine (Picture: PA)
‘Cocaine users in their 60s, 70s and 80s might not be used to the potency of the drug that has been available on the market for the last few years.
‘This has led to greater issues directly linked to their overall mental health.’
The figures released also take into account people suffering mental health problems like depression from use.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
The increase has been dubbed ‘the rise of the silver snorters’.
