Cocaine overtakes heroin as leading cause of drug deaths in England and Wales
Office for National Statistics figures show cocaine has become the drug most involved in drug-related deaths in England and Wales for the first time. Charities are urging the government to act urgently.
Cocaine has for the first time overtaken heroin as the drug most involved in drug-related deaths in England and Wales, according to 2025 figures from the Office for National Statistics, the UK's official statistics agency. Charities are calling on the UK government to act immediately to reverse what they describe as a deadly trend.
Cocaine caused 1,233 deaths last year, accounting for 22% of all drug-related deaths. The figure covers powder cocaine as well as deaths from injecting the drug or smoking it as crack. Of the cocaine deaths registered, 64% were among people over 40.
Overall figures
In total, 5,519 deaths from drug poisoning were registered last year, 46 fewer than in 2024. The rate nonetheless remains historically high, at double the level of 10 years ago. Cocaine-specific deaths are four times higher than a decade ago and eight times higher than in 2010.
North-east England had the highest rate of drug deaths, at 135.2 per million people, while London had the lowest at 58.3. Deaths were five times higher in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived. Ketamine was mentioned in 115 deaths in 2025, up from 27 in 2020 and seven in 2015.
Reaction from organisations
The Guardian reported last week that police were recording a growing number of crimes linked to cocaine, including assaults, domestic abuse and dangerous driving. Wastewater analysis indicates consumption is surging.
Niamh Eastwood, executive director of Release, the UK's national centre of expertise on drugs and drug laws, said the deaths were a direct result of policy failures. She said cocaine production was at an all-time high and the drug was more available, cheaper and purer than ever. The organisation also argues that the UK's focus on punishing drug use prevents services from offering harm-reduction measures.
Mike Trace, chief executive of the charity Forward Trust, called the overall death rate a national scandal. Will Haydock, chief executive of Collective Voice, a drug treatment campaigning charity, said the government had been largely silent on addiction for over two years and had frozen funding. He urged a new drugs strategy with clear priorities, including reducing drug-related deaths.
