Pensioners aged 90 and above are increasingly being admitted to hospitals due to cocaine use, according to new NHS Digital figures on Sunday.
The number of elderly people sent to hospitals because of cocaine use in 2019 remains the same as the previous year, but is five times higher compared to two decades ago, according to NHS Digital .
The analysis shows a whopping 88 percent increase in the number of people, aged 60 and above, being treated for cocaine-related disorders in England.
Those sent to hospitals for cocaine use rose from 45 in 2009 to 379 in 2019.
The NHS reported that 10 elderly patients have been taken to hospitals with mental and behavioural disorders as a result of the "use of cocaine."
Dr Emily Finch from the addictions faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, spoke to the the Sunday Times saying that the trend was "deeply worrying."
She explained that the rise of pensioners taking drugs due overall longevity increases, drug purity, and depreciating prices.
She added:
"Many people don't realise that cocaine use can cause mental health problems, resulting in people becoming so unwell they need to be admitted to hospital."
Karen Tyrell, with the drug charity Addaction, said:
"We need to shift the narrative to let people know that it's OK to ask for help or support at a much earlier stage."
This comes amid renewed statements from the government in April to tackle "middle" class use of the Class A drug.
Chancellor Sajid Javid accused the middle classes of playing a key role in the drug epidemic and fuelling its trade saying:
"They may never set foot in a deprived area. They may never see an act of serious violence, but their illicit habits are adding fuel to the fire that is engulfing our communities."
The NHS figures reveal that 10 people aged between 90 and 99 were admitted to hospital with cocaine-induced mental disorders last year.
