Treating cocaine body packers: The unspoken personal risks

Cocaine trafficking is a significant problem that many Caribbean territories must face. “Body packing” is a common method of transport where the smugglers ingest several cocaine filled packages. Body packers may be taken to hospital when they are detained by law enforcement officers, but occasionally they present on their own or accompanied by persons other than the authorities. This scenario poses a difficult management dilemma in any jurisdiction. We describe our experience with one such case in Jamaica.