British drink laws said to up cocaine use

LONDON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The relaxing of Britain's drinking laws allowing 24-hour operations for pubs has led to an increase in cocaine use so people can stay awake, a drug expert says.

The most common excuse for taking cocaine since 2005, when the drinking laws were changed, has been not to fall asleep or "keep going on a night out," Kent Police drugs coordinator constable Adrian Parsons said.

Parson's comments came at an open meeting of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

"It is my personal belief that the change in licensing laws led to a rise in the use of cocaine," he said.

Surveys on why people took cocaine always showed "for confidence" as the top reason before 2005 but since then it had been replaced by "to keep going" and "to stay awake," Parsons told the ACMD.

Parson said one cocaine user told him he worked hard all week and would feel sleepy on weekend evenings so would use cocaine "just to keep going to bit longer."