Women in the U.K. and Australia are more likely than ever to become addicted to cocaine. Men continue to rank higher in number of cocaine users overall, but there has been an alarming rise in the number of women beginning to use the addictive drug.

Cocaine Use in Australia

Between 2007 and 2011, the number of Australian women using cocaine exploded by a startling 60%. One statistic notes that females there are now three times more likely to purchase cocaine from someone who deals the drug than they were in 2007. The figure is noteworthy as it appears that rather than using the drug recreationally when it happens to be available, women are now pursuing cocaine use intentionally.

In Australia, the women most apt to become ensnared by the drug are young (in their 20s), single and childless, working at high-salary careers in the city. Cities in NSW (up 2.9%) and Victoria (up 2.3%) have witnessed the largest upticks in cocaine use.

Cocaine Spreads Through Britain

A 2009 article in Britain's Sunday Times reported a similar trend among young educated women in that country. There, the rise in cocaine use among young professional women has been mirrored by an increase in the number of 20-something women seeking treatment for cocaine addiction. The Times reported that while abuse of some drugs was in decline, instances of cocaine abuse had risen by 60% among women younger than 35 years of age. Furthermore, women represented one-quarter of all adults seeking treatment for drug addiction in Britain that year.

Consequences of Cocaine Abuse

Unfortunately, not all addicts seek treatment and the increase in numbers of cocaine abusers is sure to negatively impact national health. The National Drug and Alcohol Research Center at the University of NSW, Australia has warned the public of the potential dangers. The Center's director cautioned that cocaine abuse is linked to mood and anxiety disorders as well as suicidal tendencies. He went on to point out that the drug can be responsible for serious heart problems, some of which may be fatal. The potential for serious heart problems is an alert perhaps most directed toward men, who, despite the increase of women cocaine users, remain the largest segment of cocaine abusers.

Drug use among the general population of Australia is a "good news/bad news" tale. Among the Australian population overall, nearly half (40%) report indulging in illegal drug use at some point in their lives, with 14.7% admitting to use of illegal drugs in the past year. This number represents an increase in illegal drug abuse compared to 2007 when it was 13.4%, but a decrease from the 16.7% reported in 1995.

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Center says that there are currently 380,000 Australians engaging in cocaine abuse – 100,000 more than previously. Sadly, a growing proportion of that number appears to be young, upwardly mobile women.