The pattern of cocaine use around the world varies so greatly that it is impossible to describe the average user, says a new report from the World Health Organisation. The report, the result of the largest ever global study on cocaine, says that snorting of cocaine hydrochloride is by far the most popular form of use.

Information was collected from 22 cities in 19 countries, and the report cites some countries, notably Australia, Bolivia, Canada, and Colombia, which are now examining a range of options to legalise and decriminalise the personal …