Heart Attack Map: Half of Cocaine Users Test Positive to Cocaethylene

LONDON, December 15 - Cocaethylene, a heart attack inducing chemical formed in the
liver when cocaine and alcohol are mixed, is present in 45% of cocaine users
according to Trimega Laboratories.

The chemical, thought to be responsible for an increase in
heart attacks among under 40s, builds up over a number of years in the livers
of those who drink alcohol excessively whilst taking cocaine. In terms of
lethality, cocaethylene has been shown in mice to be more potent than cocaine
or alcohol by exerting more cardiovascular toxicity than either drug alone.

By screening for substance abuse in the hair samples of 1,728
donors nationwide, Trimega Laboratories found cocaine to be present in 20%
(344) of samples. Out of those testing positive to cocaine, 45% also tested
positive to cocaethylene. Whilst there were too few samples to provide a
meaningful analysis for Scotland & Wales, there were some distinct regional
variations within England.

    Presence of cocaethylene in cocaine users:

    - North West   60%
    - London       59%
    - North East   54%
    - Average      45%
    - East Mids    43%
    - South East   35%
    - South West   30%
    - West Mids    22%   Source: Trimega Laboratories

Avi Lasarow, managing director of Trimega Laboratories, commented:

"Hair tests provide a tell-tale window of detection for any
drug and alcohol abuse up to 12 months prior. They are used to unequivocally
determine any dangerous levels of abuse or, indeed, abstinence among
individuals who are required to be tested by courts, employers, social
services and even insurance companies. This includes very accurate readings
of when and how much cocaine or alcohol has been consumed and the resulting
levels of cocaethylene being formed in the body. In other words, the results
from a hair test can pretty much establish the risk of having a heart
attack."

Since hair growth is fed by the bloodstream, the ingestion of
drugs or excess alcohol in the blood is revealed by analysing chemical
markers absorbed by the hair. These markers are only produced when there are
drugs in the bloodstream. The more markers there are, the more has been
consumed. A tuft of hair about the diameter of a pencil is required and the
industry standard is a length of 1.5 inches, which provides a 90 day history.
If no head hair is available, body hair can be used instead.

www.trimegalabs.com

Nick Heath, +44(0)20-7654-0730 / +44(0)7720-297972 / nick at inkpr.com