By Cheryl Critchley
Cocaine has a reputation as the drug of choice for celebrities, but its effects can be far from glamorous.
Cocaine can be dangerous if taken in high doses or contaminated by other substances.
Snorting cocaine regularly can cause a runny nose and nosebleeds, infection of the nasal membranes, perforation of the septum and long-term damage to the nasal cavity and sinuses.
Only 1.7 per cent of Australian high-school students surveyed in the 2011 Australian secondary students’ survey had used cocaine, and only 1 per cent had used it in the past month.
These levels have also fallen significantly since 2005, when almost 3 per cent of 12 to 17-year-olds had tried it. Read more
