Background: In Spain cocaine use, although relatively widespread, has produced few health problems, most likely because there is a preponderance of non-intensive intranasal use. To obtain data in this regard, we investigated the history and patterns of use in a group of cocaine users.
Subjects and methods: Cross-sectional survey carried out in 1993 among 381 cocaine users (289 men and 92 women) who did not use heroin and had not received treatment for drug dependence, recruited by non-probabilistic sampling outside of treatment centers in 35 Spanish cities. The results are presented separately for men and women.
Results: The persons interviewed predominantly took cocaine sporadically, during the weekend, in moderate amounts (less than 0.4 g/day) and by the intranasal route. For only 7.2% was it very difficult or impossible to give up cocaine. These characteristics had persisted throughout the users' history; few users (18.1%) had taken cocaine more than 3 times a week in any period or had used a main route other than the intranasal route (10.8%). The proportion of those interviewed who used other drugs, mainly alcohol, tobacco and cannabis, was larger than in the general population in the same age group; interviewees also had a higher educational level and a lower level of unemployment. Women used cocaine, alcohol and tobacco in smaller amounts than men, and a smaller proportion of women stated that it was very difficult or impossible to give up cocaine.
Conclusions: In Spain, the cocaine users who do not use heroin have better educational and employment levels than general population, and generally they use cocaine sporadically, in moderate amounts and by the intranasal route. These circumstances may contribute to explain the relative scarcity of health problems associated to cocaine use.