A drug that "ruined his life"... But also that of the passengers of the vehicle he hit. Comedian Pierre Palmade was positive for cocaine in his car accident on Friday February 10, in which he seriously injured three people, including a pregnant woman, who lost her baby, and a child, whose life prognosis is still engaged this Tuesday, February 14.
Cocaine, he has been addicted to it for thirty years and takes refuge in it to forget his worries. A poison that gnawed at him slowly but from which he struggled to get out despite his awareness. "I've been trying to get off for ten years, he told Europe 1 in 2019. I'm starting to get there, but it's hard, there are relapses. » Decryption with Professor Laurent Karila, addictologist at the Paul-Brousse hospital in Villejuif and host of the Addiktion podcast.
The Point: What effect does cocaine have on the consumer?
Laurent Karila: It's a psychostimulant drug, which goes up and down, like at the top of a triangle. In the rising phase, we have magical effects: it's euphoria, megalomania, omnipotence, disinhibition, sexual urges... Then comes the descent, like a depression. That's when you take it once...
When do you become addicted?
An addictive disorder is considered to have developed when, within a year, the "5 Cs" are met: loss of control, compulsive high, craving to take it back), continuous use (not necessarily every day) and consequences on social life and health. On the psychiatric side, there are memory and attention disorders, depression, panic attacks, paranoia… On the physical side, the risks are numerous, especially at the level of the heart. Cocaine is cardiotoxic, so whether you take it for the first time or the thousandth time, the risk of a heart attack is multiplied by 24 within the next hour.
Can cocaine addiction be cured?
When the patient pushes our door, we warn him that there is at least a year of care. First there is the detoxification, which lasts three weeks, then the maintenance of the cessation of consumption, which is the hardest. But we must also treat all psychiatric problems. Addiction is a chronic disease. We are talking about remission, not cure, and there are between 40 and 60% relapses.
Do you see the problem getting worse?
We have more requests than before for cocaine addiction, that's for sure. It is very present in France and less expensive. It rarely comes alone as an addiction, often coupled with tobacco, but also with excessive alcohol consumption. Patients should also be systematically screened for sex addiction problems.
However, we tend to link coke to the world of show business or the jet set...
Cocaine, everyone takes it! From the unemployed to the CEO, from the farmer to the housewife… It's not like the 1990s anymore, when it was the drug of the elite. From 180 euros per gram at the time, we went to 40 to 70 euros per gram on average. And, with social networks, the uberization of dealers, the promotional offers they offer, home deliveries, drugs are easier to access.
