Ageing users and record deaths – the data behind Britain’s £9.8bn-a-year cocaine habit

Sewage samples and crime statistics paint a picture of established users taking more cocaine, more oftenCocaine-linked crimes on the rise in Britain as consumption surgesPubs, festivals and workplaces: how cocaine has become an everyday habitFrom pub toilets and private parties to football terraces and far-right marches, cocaine has become a familiar presence across modern Britain. Deaths linked to the drug have risen to record levels, while its supply supports a multibillion-pound criminal industry.But who is using the drug, and how has the picture changed? The figures do not necessarily show millions of new users, but highlight an established market in which some people take more cocaine, more often – and face greater harm as they grow older.

Exclusive: Wastewater analysis in England suggests people took roughly 2.5bn lines of drug in one yearAgeing users and record deaths – the data behind Britain’s £9.8bn-a-year cocaine habitPubs, festivals and workplaces: how cocaine has become an everyday habitBritish police are recording a growing number of crimes linked to cocaine, including assaults, domestic abuse and dangerous driving, as figures show consumption has surged across England.A Guardian investigation has found police forces across Britain recorded a 10% rise in crime rates associated with the class A drug since 2019, while the Home Office estimates cocaine usage at sites across England has risen by 26% since 2021.