Cocaine has overtaken heroin as the biggest cause of drug deaths in England and Wales, according to Office for National Statistics figures. Charities said the government must act now to reverse the trend. The data shows 1,233 deaths caused by cocaine last year, while drug deaths remained historically high.
Overall, 5,519 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in 2025, 46 fewer than in 2024. Drug deaths remained historically high, at double the rates of 10 years ago. Cocaine-specific deaths were four times higher than a decade ago and eight times higher than in 2010.
For the first time, cocaine was the drug most involved in drug-related deaths, accounting for 22%. This included its use as a powder and deaths caused by injecting the drug or smoking it as crack cocaine. Sixty-four per cent of registered cocaine deaths were people over 40, a trend also seen among people seeking help from drug treatment services.
Regional figures showed the north-east of England had the highest drug-death rate, at 135.2 per million people in 2025, and London the lowest at 58.3 per million. Deaths were five times higher in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived. Ketamine was mentioned in 115 deaths in 2025, compared with 27 in 2020 and seven in 2015.
Niamh Eastwood, executive director of Release, the UK's national centre of expertise on drugs and drug laws, said cocaine deaths were "a direct result of policy failures both in the UK and internationally". "Cocaine production is at an all-time high; it's more available, cheaper and purer than ever, despite billions spent on trying to disrupt or eradicate the trade," she said. Release said the UK's focus on punishing drug use prevented drug services from offering harm-reduction interventions, "meaning there is literally nothing practical on offer for people who use [cocaine]".
Mike Trace, chief executive of the social justice charity Forward Trust, called the overall drug-related death rate "a national scandal" that needed urgent attention. "That cocaine has risen to the top of the statistics for drug-related deaths should come as no surprise," he said. "We're facing the perfect storm of record levels of production in South America leading to falling prices combined with increasing purity, which means increasing potency and risk."
Will Haydock, chief executive of Collective Voice, a drug treatment campaigning charity, said improvements were "now at risk due to government inaction". He said the government had been "largely silent on addiction" for more than two years and had paused the planned investment programme, freezing funding at year-three levels, which he called "a real-terms cut at a time when we are trying to support more people in treatment than ever before". He called for an urgent new drugs strategy with clear priorities, including reducing drug-related deaths.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Cocaine has become the biggest single cause of drug deaths in England and Wales, a shift from heroin, with cocaine-specific deaths now eight times higher than in 2010.
- The deaths are concentrated among over-40s and in the most deprived areas, where rates are five times higher than in the least deprived.
- Charities argue that the government's pause on investment in drug treatment is putting previous progress at risk, with implications for crime, domestic abuse, the justice system and homelessness.
Background
Drug poisoning deaths in England and Wales have remained historically high, running at double the rate of a decade ago. The latest ONS data, for deaths registered in 2025, shows a slight decline from 2024 but at elevated levels. The figures follow a 2021 independent review of drugs, led by Prof Carol Black and commissioned by Boris Johnson's government, which recommended an overhaul of drug treatment services. Charities say the planned investment programme that followed has since been paused.
Key Perspectives
- Release (Niamh Eastwood): says cocaine deaths are "a direct result of policy failures both in the UK and internationally" and that the focus on punishing drug use leaves "literally nothing practical on offer" for people who use cocaine.
- Forward Trust (Mike Trace): calls the overall drug-related death rate "a national scandal" and describes record South American production, falling prices and rising purity as "the perfect storm".
- Collective Voice (Will Haydock): says improvements are "now at risk due to government inaction", with funding frozen at year-three levels, and calls for an urgent new drugs strategy including reducing drug-related deaths.
What to Watch
- Whether the government responds to the ONS figures with a new drugs strategy or resumes the paused investment programme, as charities have called for.
- Whether cocaine-related deaths continue to rise, and whether the over-40 age group remains the most affected, a trend also showing up in drug treatment services.
- Whether the regional and deprivation gaps narrow, given death rates were five times higher in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedCocaine overtook heroin as the leading cause of drug deaths in England and Wales.UK news | The Guardian: “Cocaine has overtaken heroin as the biggest cause of drug deaths in England and Wales, figures from the Office for National Statistics show.”
- SupportedCharities said the government must act now to reverse the trend.UK news | The Guardian: “The government “must act now to reverse this deadly trend”, charities have said”
- SupportedThere were 1,233 deaths caused by cocaine last year.UK news | The Guardian: “with 1,233 deaths caused by cocaine last year.”
- SupportedNiamh Eastwood said cocaine deaths were “a direct result of policy failures both in the UK and internationally”.UK news | The Guardian: “Niamh Eastwood, the executive director of Release, the UK’s national centre of expertise on drugs and drug laws, said cocaine deaths were “a direct result of policy failures both in the UK and internationally”.”
- SupportedEastwood said cocaine production was at an all-time high and the drug was more available, cheaper and purer than ever, despite billions spent trying to disrupt or eradicate the trade.UK news | The Guardian: ““Cocaine production is at an all-time high; it’s more available, cheaper and purer than ever, despite billions spent on trying to disrupt or eradicate the trade.””
- SupportedA total of 5,519 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in 2025.UK news | The Guardian: “Overall, 5,519 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered last year, 46 fewer than in 2024.”
- SupportedThe 2025 total was 46 fewer deaths than in 2024.UK news | The Guardian: “Overall, 5,519 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered last year, 46 fewer than in 2024.”
- SupportedDrug deaths remained historically high, at double the rates of 10 years ago.UK news | The Guardian: “Though drug deaths fell slightly in 2025 compared with the previous year, they “remained historically high” at double the rates of 10 years ago”
- SupportedFor the first time, cocaine was the drug most involved in drug-related deaths.UK news | The Guardian: “For the first time, cocaine was the drug most involved in drug-related deaths, the figures show, amounting to 22%.”
- SupportedCocaine accounted for 22% of drug-related deaths.UK news | The Guardian: “For the first time, cocaine was the drug most involved in drug-related deaths, the figures show, amounting to 22%.”
- SupportedCocaine-specific deaths were four times higher than a decade ago.UK news | The Guardian: “cocaine-specific deaths four times higher than a decade ago and eight times higher than in 2010.”
- SupportedCocaine-specific deaths were eight times higher than in 2010.UK news | The Guardian: “cocaine-specific deaths four times higher than a decade ago and eight times higher than in 2010.”
