Bilateral Investment Treaties: Breach of Treaty or Contract

Bilateral investment Treaties Breach of Treaty or tailorThe face of transnationalistic coronation has changed radically thanks to the proliferation of snowflakes in the past decade. This has guide to foreign investment enmitys increasingly creation resolved through dis commite resolution procedure. But the increase in arbitration to resolve investment related disputes hasnt been successful in resolving some of the issues arising from BITs. Rather some of the young ending in international investment has exposed some of the primal problem between the theoretical aspect of the bit and the practical aspect1. One of the major issues creating a lot of contr everywheresy is related to interpreting that comprehensive article in disparate BITs2 and the conflict between burst of treaty v go bad of need. This cla apply, found in most of the BITs requires that each weightlifting party must honour and observe all obligations that fill been entered with the investor from t he other contracting estate. This clause essentially helps the investor to raise a contractual plead under the house servant justness to a treaty claim under the BITs. According to Jarrod Wong the employment of such clause results in the international arbitration court of justice constituted under the BIT (the BIT royal court) to take jurisdiction over recrudesce-of-contract claims since the umbrella clause raises the breach of contract to a treaty level breach which automatically gives jurisdiction to the motor inn3. To put it in the simplest way, it means that the investor place now ask the international investment courtroom to redress the breach of the investment contact by elevating it to the status of breach of the investment treat by way of international arbitration.Vivendi4, SGS v. Pakistan5, and SGS v. Philippines6 are the three fictional characters discrete by International Centre for Settlement of investiture Disputes (ICSID) judicatory that nurture fuelled the controversy relating to umbrella clause7 and additionally chip in discussed the relationship between a breach of contract and breach of treaty. The above cases have shown how international arbiters are inconsistent in their approach towards interpreting the umbrella clause in the governing BITs. This has led to a conflict on how the two-principal aspect of international investment practice work in consonance with each other. The two-principal aspect constitute of investment contract which is validated by the hosts states domestic law and the international investment agreement which are mostly the BITs8. If this underlying uncertainty isnt resolved soon, thence the growth and favourability of international investment stands threatened.9 Since overlaps between contract and treaty claims are expected to arise with increased frequency in the interim period (as a result of the ever-increasing chain of BIT coverage)10. This try out result stolon analyse the relationship between a contractual claim and treaty claim when both arise from same comp whatever of positions (a single action of the host state giving rise to the breach). The analysis forget be done by discussing how different tribunal have assisted in developing this law as it stands today and if at that place are all fault and changes required in the jurisprudence. The second part of the essay will circle the umbrella clause jurisprudence by focusing and dissecting the last and causalitying of the tribunal in the SGS termination that have abidanced the imagination as it is today. At the end the conclusion will involve the analysis and recommendation relating to the jurisprudence discussed infra and will overly provide an analysis of the decisions that will be referred to.The parties in an investment transaction receive their substantive and procedural rights from the combination of different norm starting from the investment contract itself that is entered between the foreign invest or and the local governing be which gives rise to private right and obligation. Then there is the domestic law of the host state that govern and protects the substantial rights and obligation of the party. These domestic laws fill in the normative gaps that arise in the contract, those domestic laws are mostly in the form of tax laws, environmental law et al. Domestic laws draw substantive and procedural right and obligation in addition to those undertaken through the contract. Finally, Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and Multilateral Investment Treaties (MITs) also govern m any(prenominal) international foreign investments that required the host state to adhere to obligation by a fixed set of international law. A combination of the above norms provides for a suit adapted investment environment for the foreign investor protecting and guaranteeing a return on the investment made.11 The above set of norm give rise to different rights and there is claim under all the three set of norm and at time those claims shag arise from a single set of facts. all(a) the three norms work simultaneously to protect and observe all the right and obligation of the parties. As all the norm work together at time both contractual and treat claims can come from a single set of facts, that fact being the act of the government which can breach the investment contract and the investment treaty at the same time. The question that arises here is that if single set of facts gives rise to both treaty and contractual claims then will the tribunal have jurisdiction or will the court have jurisdiction over the dispute? This jurisprudence stands clarified that the tribunal will have jurisdiction over the treaty claims and the local court or arbitrator will have jurisdiction over contractual claims by international tribunal time and again, the most recent being the famous SGS decisions and it was jump wadt with by the Lanco v Argentina12 Tribunal.This ICSID jurisprudence established in Lanco13 was based on the gathering infusion clause contained in the concession agreement which was in favour of domestic courts in Argentina. Argentina argued that because of the clause the tribunal has no jurisdiction over treaty claims as the consent in the contract by way of the forum survival of the fittest clause over rides the general consent given in the BIT for ICSID arbitration. The tribunal however rejected the argument stating that United States-Argentina BIT allows the investor to submit the dispute to ICSID for treaty based claims and the consent is an expressed consent and cannot in any case be overridden by the consent given in the contract.14The Annulment Committee in the Vivendi case affirmed the Vivindi Tribunals decision on the issue relating to forum selection clause which was in line with the Lanco decision. The tribunal basically stated that the ICSID tribunal will never be strip of jurisdiction over a treaty claim, including the case of treaty claims ar ising out of the contract even when there is a forum selection clause in the contract.15 The tribunal in the Vivindi16 case stated that in no way the forum selection clause would bedeemed to prevent the investor from proceeding under the ICSID Convention against the Argentine Republic on a claim charging the Argentine Republic with a violation of the Argentine-French BIT.17The forum selection clause was again a point of contention between the parties in both the SGS dispute and the tribunals decisions was in line with the prior jurisprudence. While discussing the SGS decisions one important point that is mostly not noted is that in both the disputes the tribunal asserted jurisdiction over the treaty claim which arose directly from the investment agreement. This cemented the ICSID jurisprudence that was established in earlier cases, both treaty claims and contractual claims can arise from the same set of facts. It can also be stated that, notwithstanding any forum selection clause, i n a matter of treaty violation an international tribunal will always have jurisdiction over the treaty based claim. The tribunal in SGS v Pakistan cited the Vivindi annulment decision where the committee statedW here the fundamental basis of the claim is a treaty laying down an independent standard by which the conduct of the parties is to be judged, the existence of an exclusive jurisdiction clause in a contract between the claimant and the respondent state cannot operate as a bar to the application of the treaty standard. At most, it might be relevant-as municipal law will often be relevant-in assessing whether there has been a breach of the treaty.18The tribunal also curiously stated that it will deal with the violation related to the treaty only and there will be no jurisdictional overlap with the PSI arbitrator as the PSI arbitrator will be dealing with contractual violation even though both the dispute arise from the same set of facts.19 It must also be noted that the tribu nal in SGS v Philippines also had to deal with similar type of forum selection clause and its decision was again in line with earlier jurisprudence. The SGS tribunals were consistent in their decision on forum selection clause in an underlying contract and also followed the jurisprudence that was established.The effect is that once treaty based claims are found and framed then the treaty based tribunal have the power to evaluate them and no other forum selection clause can abridge that right. This authority will in no condition be abdicated on the reason that they claim are linked or arise from claims related to contracts. No forum selection clause in an underlying contract or a parallel proceeding relating to the claims can rob or stop the treaty based tribunal from deciding the treaty based claim as nominate differentiation can be established between treaty based claims and contractual claims even if they arise from the same set of facts.We saw that there is a clear differentiat ion between a tribunal asserting jurisdiction on treaty claims when the dispute arises from the same set of fact related to an underlying investment contract. But the umbrella clause aims to do just the reverse gear by equating contract breaches with treaty breaches. SGS v Pakistan was the first case to deal with the umbrella clause in its practical aspect back in 2003 and then this question was again dealt with by SGS v Philippines. While trying to deal with the question of umbrella clause the SGS decisions left us with conflicting and confusing interpretation of the umbrella clause. The confusion can be attri exactlyed to how the SGS decisions lie on the opposite end of the spectrum, while SGS v. Pakistan determined that the BIT tribunal does not have any jurisdiction over contractual claims on the ground (that umbrella clause is truly wide in its scope and there was no intention to cover contractual dispute), conversely SGS v. Philippines held that a BIT tribunal in fact has su ch jurisdiction (as the umbrella clause is to be applied as it is) but still held that it should not exercise this jurisdiction where the investment agreement contains an exclusive forum selection clause designating a specific but different forum from BIT tribunal for resolving disputes arising under the contract.The United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations has stated that the strawman of an umbrella clause in a treaty makes the respect of such contracts between the host State and the investor an obligation under the treaty. Thus, the breach of such a contract by the host State would engage its responsibility under the agreement and-unless direct dispute settlement procedures come into play-entitle the midsectionhstone State to exercise diplomatic protection of the investor.20The inclusion of umbrella clause has widened the definition of a arbitrable dispute and over the time tribunal have found and concluded that jurisdiction of a tribunal is no more(prenominal) res tricted to claims of violation of substantive provision of BIT.21 It may be noted that the clauses in BITs are not yet tested as they have been drafted keeping in mind the future requirement for an favourable investment and they are put to test only when any dispute arises and they are placed before an arbitral tribunal. Two of the recent decision relates to the interpretation of the umbrella clause discussed below shows what challenges can the umbrella clause being with them.The SGS ReasoningsThe SGS decision are the two most recent and important decision on umbrella clause. While SGS v Pakistan took a very restrictive approach in interpreting the clause over contractual claims, SGS v Philippines made a broad interpretation of the umbrella clause by covering both treaty claims and contractual claims.SGS v Pakistan was faced with an umbrella clause, which according to the tribunal was very broad in its scope. The tribunal went on to state that the clause is so broad that it cant be construed to cover contractual claims (compromissory clause article 9 of BIT only mean to cover treaty claims not contractual claims)22. The tribunal also found that the umbrella clause in article 11 of the BIT did not rapture SGS contractual claims in to BIT claim. The tribunal stated that a straight forward reading and literal interpretation of the clause encompasses the contractual claims, but the tribunal was concerned that it will convert every contractual claim into a breach of BIT claim and would open a floodgate of cases.23 The tribunal was very explicit in stating that they dont intent the clause to be so wide in its scope and assumed that the parties also never intended to do so. freehand effect to the clause would be exceeding what the contracting parties intended and the tribunal is willing to accept.24 So eventually the tribunal took jurisdiction over treaty claim only and allowed to PSI arbitrator to resolve the contractual disputes.SGS v Philippines was faced with the decision of the earlier SGS v Pakistan tribunal which came before some months only. The tribunal mat up that the SGS v Pakistan tribunal didnt give the full and proper effect to the umbrella clause stating that the clause doesnt change the applicable law on the contract from Philippines law to international.25 The applicable law remains the domestic law only, the umbrella clause makes sure that the host state honours the obligation it has undertaken under the contract in effect, the clause help to secure the performance of the contract obligation by the host state in relation to international investment protection law.26 amazingly aft(prenominal) giving a broad interpretation to the clause the tribunal suspended the proceedings asking the claimant to get the judgement from the domestic court first and then come back to the tribunal if the claimant finds that the judgment is unsatisfactory or the host state doesnt comply with the judgment. The tribunal felt that they have jur isdiction over the dispute, but it is not yet admissible as there is another forum selection clause closer to the contract and if that fail then the tribunal can take jurisdiction.27 Basically, speaking the tribunal stated that they have jurisdiction over the matter but it will become admission when the forum selection clause doesnt provide justice it will be admissible as it will get elevated to treat violation under the doctrine of refutation of justice under international law.28Its clear by now that both tribunals decided not to decide on the contractual claim. As Thomas W Walde states, this happened because both the tribunal feared that it will open a floodgate. The SGS v Pakistan was much sincere and clearly vocal about the fear whereas the SGS v Philippines tribunal disguised it in a more technical setting.29In the end, we can see that both the SGS decision have left the concept of Umbrella clause on a very uneven ground by arriver at two different conclusions. In my opini on an umbrella clause provides much more confidence than a forum selection clause. The reason umbrella clause is preferred because it provides for the disputes to be resolved by a neutral tribunal as both the parties have equal say in the selection and appointment of the tribunals. whereas the forum selection clause requires that the dispute be resolved by a domestic court where the host state has an interest. This doesnt help to instil any confidence of the foreign investor in the domestic forum.30 The SGS v Pakistan tribunal didnt take into consideration the entire jurisprudence of international law, had it vested far enough it would have realised that the jurisprudence states that contracts of aliens with a government are protected under international law, but only if there are not merely commercial, but have an element of governmental powers and prerogative.31 The intention and aim of investment treaty are not to cover and protect normal commercial functions but rather the actio n of the government which may seem business like but are autonomous in nature. Had the tribunal delved and concentrated on this core aspect of international investment law it would have realised that the PSI contract involves the power of government (matter related to custom and revenue are the sovereign function of government and PSI agreement was a contract relating to the sovereign action of the Pakistan government) and it would have been able to assert jurisdiction without opening any floodgates.In my opinion when there is an umbrella clause, the parties should go ahead to give effect to the clause, however wide it is. The jurisprudence behind the umbrella clause is to give it a broad interpretation by literally reading it the way it is written. Further, if the argument given in the decision are carried to the extreme, it would invalidate not just the umbrella clause, but all BIT provisions. Conversely the host state should be the one to take the first step to allow the umbrell a to take effect and raise the contract claim to treaty claim. Although this step would benefit both the parties, but the host state stands to gain from this action rather than loosing anything. My analogy is based on the assumptions that such an action would be beneficial to the host state, as it will be seen as a positive and pro-investment stance by other investors. The host state stand to benefit by way of a more hospitable, more fascinating environment for foreign investment by the adoption of the BIT provisions such as clause like umbrella clause (also forum atom clause).Another issue that arises is, reengaging with the clause of the BIT after the investment and that too after a claim has arisen, creates uncertainty in the global marketplace and this may will result in investor losing confidence in the host effecting loss of investment opportunity. In my conclusion, I complete agree with what Jarrod wong states, the language, history and purpose of umbrella clause dictates o ne reasonable interpretation that it applies to investment contracts without any exception and hence it should be enforced in case of any dispute in accordance with the partys agreement.32 Moreover, a foreign investor enters an investment agreement with the host by drawing confidence from the BIT and its clauses should be applied as it is until and unless it is blatantly against any concept of international law. Some recent cases have tried to deal with the interpretation of the umbrella clause. while some went for the decision went for Broad, Unconditional Plain convey of the clause like SGS v. Paraguay33 and EDF v. Argentina34. Those cases stuck to the concept that there should be a plain meaning buy some of them went for conditional plan meaning but none of the tribunal went ahead to clarify the confusion created by the SGS decision. We are slowly seeing a trend in the practice but far from reaching a conclusive finality. So, the present requirement is for ICSID to clarify on t he umbrella issue that has cropped up because of the SGS decisions and the interpretation of the clause should be broad and literal as the jurisprudence related to the umbrella clause suggests.1 Yuval Shany, Contract Claims Vs. Treaty Claims Mapping Conflicts Between Icsid Decisions On Multisourced Investment Claims, The American Journal of International Law, American order of International LawVol. 99, No. 4 (Oct., 2005), pp. 835-8512 Jarrod Wong, Umbrella Clauses in Bilateral Investment Treaties Of Breaches of Contract, Treaty Violations, and the Divide between Developing and Developed Countries in Foreign Investment Disputes, 14 Geo. Mason L. Rev. 135 (2006).3 ibid4 Compania de Aquas del Aconquija, S.A. v. Argentina, Decision on Annulment, ICSID No. arb/97/3, 41 ILM 1135, 1154 (2002).5 SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A. v. Pakistan, Decision on legal power, ICSID No. ARB/01/13 (Aug. 6, 2003), 18 ICSID REV. 301 (2003), 42 ILM 1290 (2003)6 SGS Societe Generale de Surveillan ce S.A. v. Philippines, Decision on Jurisdiction, ICSID No. ARB/02/6 (Jan. 29, 2004)7 Shany, (n1)8 ibid9 Cf Kalypso Nicolaidis Joyce L. Tong, Diversity or Cacophony? The Continuing Debate over New Sources of International Law, 25 MICH.J. INTL L. 1349, 1351 (2004)10 Shany, (n1)11 Ibid., pp. 835-85112 Lanco International Inc. v. the Argentine Republic (hereinafter Lanco), ICSID Case No. ARB/97/6, Preliminary Decision Jurisdiction of the Arbitral Tribunal, 8 December 1998, 40 I.L.M. 457, 200113 Ibid.14 ibid., at para. 31.15 Compania de Aguas del Aconquija S.A. and Vivendi Universal v. Argentine Republic (ICSID Case No. ARB/97/3, Decision on Annulment of 3 July 2002, 41 I.L.M. 1135, 2002, at para. 50.16 ibid17 ibid., at para. 5418 ibid., at para. 14019 SGS v Pakistan (n 5) at para 186 18720 United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations, Bilateral Investment Treaties, UNCTC, 1988, at 39.21 Christoph Schreuer, Travelling the BIT Route of waiting periods, umbrella clause and Fork in the road, 5 J.W.I.T 2, 231 (2004)22 ibid23 Stanimir a alexandrov, Breaches of Contract and Breaches of Treaty The Jurisdiction of Treaty-based arbitrement Tribunals to Decide Breach of Contract Claims in SGs v Pakistan and SGs v Philippines 2004 5 J. World Investment Trade 5524 Emmanuel Gaillard, Investment Treaty arbitration and Jurisdiction Over Contract Claims- the SGS Cases Considered in International Investment Law and Arbitration Leading cases from the ICSID, NAFTA, Bilateral Treaties and Customary International Law, Tod Weiler Editor (2005).257, 2004, at 271-27225 alexandrov, (n 23)26 SGS v Philippine (n 6) at para 12627 Stephen Schwebel, International Protection of Contractual Agreements (1959) A.S.I.L. Proc. 27328 ibid29 Thomas W. Wlde, The Umbrella (or Sanctity of Contract/Pacta sunt Servanda) Clause in Investment Arbitration A Comment on Original Intentions and Recent 2004 1(4) TDM 130 Wong, (n 2)31 Schwebel, (n 24)32 Wong, (n 2)33 Socit Gnrale de Surveillance S.A. v. Republic of the Philippines, ICSID Case No. ARB/02/634 EDF International S.A., SAUR International S.A. and Leon Participaciones Argentinas S.A. v. Argentine Republic, ICSID Case No. ARB/03/23 cocain Addiction History, Effects and Symptomscocaine Addiction History, Effects and SymptomsCocaine AddictionAn Overview of Cocaine AddictionWhat is Cocaine?Cocaine is a stimulant medicate that produces a greater effect of high than other medicates such as methamphetamine. It comes in a form of white powder or crystal form with a bitter numbing taste. In general, the powder form is merge with other materials such as talcum powder, icing sugar, cornstarch or other drugs such as amphetamine or procaine. Cocaine is derived from coca leaves, then processed into cocaine hydrochloride to produce the base of the drug which is develop into two forms recognized as crack and freebase. White crack typically comes in the shape of crystals varies in color from creamy or white to a transparent color wi th a yellow or pink tinge whereas freebase is the white coherent powder form. Cocaine generally snorted through the nasal tissues hence absorbed into the personal credit linestream. Some people also rub the drug at their gums and swallowing it. Ways of ingesting it depends on the preference of the users, some want a rapid high sensation would inject it or inhale it as a vapor or smoke. Cocaine is widely known by many names that accommodates pepsi, coke, crack, Charlie, base, sugar block and rock.Brief HistoryCocaine was once misclassified as a narcotic drug that depresses the nervous system. It is a powerful stimulant and indigenous natives chewed the coca leaves for boosts of energy. The natives believed it was given by the God and reserves the cocas pleasure for royalties and high priests. In overtime, the coca leaves were spread to the common people. In 1860, the secret of the coca leaves caught the attention of a pharmaceutical company located in Germany. In the facility, the ancient coca leaf collided with modern chemistry and the drugs active ingredients are isolated from cocas chemical properties by chemist, Albert Niemann. After the chemical isolation, a crystal substance is formed and it was named Cocaine which derives from coca and the alkaloid suffix -ine. Niemann stripped the leaves of its mono rating substances and unknowingly created the worlds most copive drug.How it is employ?There are four common ways of ingesting cocaine which are oral, intravenous, intranasal and inlet. In other street terms it is called chewing, injecting or mainlining, snorting and smoking. Intravenous use is a method of using a hypodermic needle to inject cocaine directly into the bloodstream causing instant intense effect to the user. Whereas intranasal political science is the process of snorting powdered cocaine through the external opening of the nose. Smoking cocaine requires breathing in the smoke or vapor of a burning cocaine into the lungs where the effects are sucked up into the bloodstream to create instantaneous euphoric high as such injecting cocaine. Users should be aware that there are absolute no safe way of using cocaine as the listed methods of using the drug result in absorption of toxic enumerates of cocaine, cerebrovascular come forwardncies, acute cardiovascular and seizures that can to sudden death.Effects on the capitulumCocaine activates norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, chemicals that stimulates movements, excitement and feelings of pleasure. Normally, when you get excited, startle, and frighten the brain makes you react in order to get out from harms way. Cocaine works in the similar way in the brain automatically without you needing it to occur. This addictive drug is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that stimulates the growth of neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain which is responsible to regulate movement and pleasure. Generally, dopamine is freed by neurons in response to potential rewards a nd reprocess back into the cell that freed it and eventually shutting off signals in linked with neurons. Cocaine stops the dopamine from being reused thus leading to excessive number of dopamine to develop in the synapse. This process causes amplification of the dopamine signals and eventually disrupts standard brain communication. The overflow of dopamine is the main cause of creating the cocaines euphoric high. Constant heavy usage of the cocaine can cause permanent long-term modification of the brains reward system and also other systems of the brain.Effects on the lungsSmoking cocaine is the main contribution to the majority lung and breathing complications. Users smoke crack, freebase or paste by using water pipes, glass pipes or cigarettes, heated using matches or butane lighters. Resi cod from the cocaine contaminants, matches, tars and additives as such marijuana ordinarily causes chronic coughing, bronchitis, and coughing black phlegm thus leading to multiple chest pain a nd shortness of breath. The practice of breath holding and deep inhalation technique maximizes the volume of cocaine inhaled and the absorption and can cause collapsing of the lung. At times, users often express sharp pains in the chest area due to deep breathing, neck pain, painful swallowing and buildup of air under the skin located at the neck area called subcutaneous emphysema, which has a feature of crackling arrest sensation similar to Rice Krispies cereal. In addition, smoking cocaine can also cause pulmonary edema, a condition of the lung being filled with fluids that can cause severe shortness in breath, respiratory failure and later death.Effects on the heartCocaine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system that is in the main responsible for the fight response function which is controlled mostly by epinephrine or adrenaline. Increased of heart rates, high blood pressure and constrictive of blood vessels are the effects of using cocaine. Other type of cardiovascular com plications that are caused by cocaine include rapid heart rate and abnormal heart rhythms known as cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a disease that weakens the walls of the aorta and causes aortic dissection and rupture of the heart muscle. Repeated use of cocaine can also cause tapering off in the arteries of the heart that can lead to the decrease of blood flow in the heart organ thus causing symptoms of angina, where heart muscles are deprived of oxygen-rich blood that usually cause death of heart tissues and heart attack. In addition, cocaine is also responsible for subsequent narrowing and accelerated hardening of the coronary thrombosis arteries of the heart which results in heart attacks and cardiac deaths among users from the age of 19 to 44 years of age.Signs of Cocaine Abuse AddictionCocaine is a drug that is passing addictive and interferes how the brain processes chemicals responsible for the feelings of pleasure. Users who are addicted to cocaine will lose control o ver the usage of the drug. Strong urges of need for the drug emerge from time to time although most users know the consequences after taking it. Here are some signs of cocaine addictionMood Swings The drug cocaine causes addicts to belt when they decide to quit. The term crash refers to moments where the addicts mood swings changes rapidly from high to distress which causes addicts to continue taking it in order to feel normal. otiose of using the drug may lead to addiction.Withdrawal symptoms Addicts who are addicted to cocaine may show withdrawal symptoms of the drug. Withdrawal symptoms may include hunger, depression, self-destructive thoughts, intense cravings, extended sleep or restless sleep, irritability and exhaustion. Abusing cocaine will seem the easy way out to not stupefy any withdrawal symptoms thus bringing the addict back to relapsing the drug.Change in Behavior If an addict abuses cocaine, their behavior will dramatically change after using the drug. The addict ma y seem happy or excited and acts more confidently to display an enthusiastic reason of well-being. Addicts also may issue talkative than usual, sexually excited, energy levels increased and loss of food appetite.Eye ChangesThe most obvious signs of abusing cocaine is the addicts eyes. The pupil of their eyes are dilated and overly sensitive to light. The pupil is the black part in the eye and usually will constrict when there is light shone into it and get bigger when the presence of light is gone. Cocaine causes the addicts pupils to dilate or get bigger than its usual size.Nasal Effect Other signs of cocaine addiction include nasal effects. Cocaine addicts usually have runny noses and nose bleed after prolonged use of the drug. Cocaine is heavily snorted through the nasal passages resulting narrowing in blood vessels which can cause blood pressure to increase and decrease in blood flow to the nasal cavity tissues. Without the right amount of blood supply to the nasal cavity tiss ues, the normal function of the nose may undergo massive damages such as loss of sense of smell and overall health may also be affected. Family members and loved ones should also be on the look-out for traces of white colored powder around the addicts nose as an indication of cocaine abuse.Skin EffectAnother sign of cocaine abuse is scratching of the skin. Cocaine users typically experience irritating crawling feelings under the skin. This crawling feeling is known as snow bugs or cocaine bugs. Addicts describe the feeling of cocaine bugs as burning, itching, sharp and creeping. Some addicts will tend to always scratch their skin until it bleeds to ease the irritation. Keep an eye for small bleeding wounds and formation of scabs on your loved ones to mention the abuse of cocaine.Over-HeatingRegular cocaine addicts will always find themselves sweating excessively due to dramatic increase of the body temperature. Addicts may also hallucinate and feel agitated, confused and paranoid easily. Family members should notice behaviors of their loved ones such as constant pulling off their clothes or tries to cool down the body with cold showers, wandering the streets without reasons and violent behaviors as signs of cocaine addiction.Treating Cocaine AddictionWithout proper intercession, cocaine addiction and abuse can lead to destructive injuries and irreversible harm. In due course, similar to other substance addiction it will cause overdose, accidents, chronic health issues and death. At Solace Sabah, we offer the latest drug recovery program that incorporates cutting edge psychotherapies, modern medicines, committed after finagle, family integration and customized treatment plans. Every client will be provided with thorough and effective care for even the worst possible case of drug addiction. If you find your loved one is relying highly on cocaine and powerless to stop using the drug, treatment and immediate intervention are their best option for a chance to li ve a healthy life again. Contact us today at Solace Sabah to gain an understanding on how our in-depth addiction treatment program can help your loved ones to start the recovery journey.