Cocaine addiction is a growing problem in Scotland, experts say

A Scottish Drugs Forum conference has heard that cocaine use has doubled in four years and that users are taking the drug and heroin at the same time.

Some experts believe there should be more centres offering specialist help.

The executive has said it is up to individual services to decide how to tackle local problems.

Taking cocaine and heroin at the same time, which is known as "snowballing", creates a need for more fixes of the drugs.

Recreational drug

Cocaine is a stimulant, negating the calming effect of heroin, causing users to need greater amounts.

The drug was used by about 8% of addicts in Scotland in 2004, compared to 4% in 2000.

That figure may be higher as some drug experts in Edinburgh say it is running just behind ecstasy as a recreational drug.

Cocaine users obviously are potentially paranoid, they're very concerned about issues of confidentiality and actually want an immediate service David Liddell Scottish Drugs Forum

The conference has been hearing concerns that drug services are mainly geared towards heroin users, substituting it with methadone, but there is no alternative to cocaine.

The Scottish Drugs Forum, funded by the executive, said a rethink was due on the services offered to addicts.

David Liddell said: "Potentially, as we've seen in other European countries, we start to see a more substantial shift in that direction, so that the primary drug is no longer heroin but actually becomes cocaine.

"Cocaine users obviously are potentially paranoid, they're very concerned about issues of confidentiality and actually want an immediate service.