The Sneaky Chemical Cocktail You Never Ordered
Ever mixed cocaine and alcohol on a wild night out? If so, you sleezily became a bartender of a dangerous chemical concoction that is in your body. Yes, say hello to cocaethylene – the party crasher in your bash who overstates their welcome and leaves a mess behind.
The Accidental Discovery
Back in 1979, researchers made a discovery. When you mix cocaine and alcohol in the body, they don’t just stay as friends; they combine into another compound. That chemical baby of theirs, named cocaethylene, is actually the only drug known to create a third drug in the body after ingesting two others. Now, here’s your overachiever!
How Does This Chemical Wizardry Happen?
You’re out with your friends, and after a few drinks, you’re presented with this line of cocaine that you must try. Meanwhile, your poor liver is chugging away inside you, trying to break down these two substances. It never realised that, in this case, it was actually a matchmaker. The result? Cocaethylene.
This is hardly a cool party trick—it’s more like a metabolic curveball with major consequences. In other words, it mimics the action of cocaine, but is much more toxic and stays in your system for much longer. That’s sort of like inviting the Energiser Bunny to a rave—it just keeps going, and going, and going long after the party should have ended.
The Science Behind the Danger
Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of this chemical troublemaker. Cocaethylene, or ethylbenzoylecgonine if you’re feeling fancy, is a metabolite formed when cocaine and ethanol (alcohol) mingle in your liver. This sneaky substance is lipophilic, meaning it loves to hang out in fatty tissues like your brain. Compared to cocaine, cocaethylene is a party animal that sticks around 2-3 times longer.
But here’s the kicker: it’s not just overstaying its welcome. Cocaethylene is a potent inhibitor of dopamine reuptake, cranking up the feel-good neurotransmitters in your brain. It’s like your synapses are throwing a rave, but the bouncer’s gone home. This prolonged dopamine party is what makes the high more intense and longer-lasting.
However, cocaethylene isn’t content with just messing with your brain. It’s also a vasoconstrictor, narrowing your blood vessels and potentially leading to that nasty cardiovascular damage we talked about earlier. It’s like your circulatory system is wearing a too-tight belt, and trust me, that’s not a fashion statement you want to make.
The Deceptive High
And here’s where things get hairy. Cocaethylene doesn’t just mimic the effects of cocaine; it magnifies them. Users have reported this greatly enhanced euphoria—more intense and longer lasting—compared to when either substance is used separately. That’s like moving from economy to first class on the party plane—but at what cost?
This enhanced high comes with a dangerous catch: Alcohol’s depressant effects are masked. You’re guzzling down drinks like they’re water and you can’t feel the typical telltale symptoms when you’re insane with booze. You might feel like Superman after a few beers, but really, you’re a bomb ready to blow.
The Dark Side of the High
It is sounding like the VIP pass to Euphoria Town, but it is really a one-way ticket to Risky Business Boulevard. Let’s get past the not-so-fun facts:
- Heart Trouble: Cocaethylene gets your heart racing and your blood pressure skyrocketing. This makes your heart perform a marathon with a straitjacket on.
- Liver Toxicity: Your already overworked liver now gets the added bonus of dealing with this newly toxic substance. Continued long-term use might just make this deal permanent.
- More Aggression: Remember that “angry young men” thing? Well, cocaine and alcohol combined are like dousing the fire with petrol.
- More Impaired Judgement: Well, apparently drunk judgement wasn’t faulty enough. Cocaethylene really sends common sense packing.
- Higher Overdose Risk: The prolonged high may trick users into thinking they need more, hence the potential to cause fatal overdoses.
The Social Ripple Effect
It’s not just your body that suffers. Cocaethylene has been linked to risky behaviours from unprotected sex to violent outbursts. It’s turning nights out into disaster zones.
Cops have noticed, too. In Manchester and Merseyside, respectively, researchers found that nearly half of young attackers detained for aggressive behaviour had drugs in their system, and coke was the leading drug. Many had been drinking, too. Coincidence? Not likely.
The Silent Epidemic
Here’s the kicker: Most people don’t even know cocaethylene exists. So that 30-year-old TV producer who mixed coke and booze for seven years? She’s playing Russian roulette and doesn’t even realise the gun’s ever loaded.
Medical professionals are sounding the alarm. Cocaine-related hospital admissions have doubled in the last five years, and booze as its wingman isn’t an exception. This is a health crisis brewing right under our noses. Literally.
Harm Reduction: If You Must, Do It Safer
It is infinitely safer to avoid this dangerous combination altogether. We understand that this is, in fact, not always realistic. Hence, if you do decide to mix alcohol and cocaine, here are some harm reduction tips:
- Start low, go slow.
- Use at your own pace.
- Buddy up.
- Use drugs in the company of close friends who can watch out for you.
- Set limits: Set a boundary for yourself before you use and adhere to that limit.
- Keep hydrated by drinking water at regular intervals to avoid dehydration.
- Know the signs: Do not be afraid to call 999 if overdose symptoms are present.
The Bottom Line
Cocaethylene is no mere scientific footnote; it is a very real and prevalent danger lurking in the shadows of our party culture. It is the uninvited guest who crashes the party and trashes the place.
That which may look as a harmless party is a game of Russian roulette to your health when the two mix: cocaine and alcohol. And it’s not only about the immediate risks, but also the long-term damage taken by only a few that one may not see until it’s too late.
The next time you’re out and tempted by the most deadly of sin cocktails, remember that cocaethylene is one chemical reaction your body is better off without. Stay safe, stay informed, and maybe only embrace one poison at a time. It will truly be the smarter option for your future self.
Photo: “What is Cocaethylene?” by Anthony Cunningham for Zoom Testing
Zoom Testing is a leading UK drug testing company and a supplier of Drug Test Kits.
