Cocaine-related deaths overtook heroin for the first time in ٢٠١٥
The number of deaths from cocaine use in England and Wales has nearly quadrupled in a decade, overtaking those attributed to heroin for the first time.
Cocaine was linked to more than one in five drug poisoning deaths registered in ٢٠٢٥, more than any other single substance, with charities blaming its increased purity and availability.
Meanwhile a record ١١٥ ketamine-linked deaths were registered, almost twice as many as in ٢٠٢٤, according to Office for National Statistics data , external .
The overall rate of drug deaths fell for the first time since ٢٠١٢. But experts pointed out regional inequality was growing, with the rate of such deaths more than twice as high in the North East as in London.
There were ٥,٥١٩ drug poisoning deaths registered in ٢٠٢٥ in England and Wales, the equivalent of ٩٢.٤ deaths per million people.
Of these, cocaine was mentioned in ١,٢٣٣ cases - slightly fewer than the previous year but higher than the ١,٢١٠ deaths linked to heroin or morphine, which also marked a fall from the previous year's level.
However, deaths linked to opiate and opioid drugs combined were still higher. The ONS also said there was a lag between deaths occurring and being registered.
The fatality rate fell from ٩٣.٩ deaths per million people a year earlier, representing the first annual decline since ٢٠١٢.
In September, National Records of Scotland said drug deaths there had risen by ١١% in ٢٠٢٥ on the year before, marking the worst mortality rate in Europe,
In May the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency said drug-related deaths rose by ٧.١% between ٢٠٢١-٢٣ and ٢٠٢٢-٢٤ , external .
Dr James Morgan, who specialises in addiction and mental health at London Metropolitan University, said while there had been a slight decrease in deaths "the numbers remain objectively high", with total drug fatalities in England and Wales roughly doubling since ٢٠١٢.
"What we are seeing is increasing polarisation and growing inequalities, where the poorest regions are falling behind, and more affluent regions doing better," he said.
The steepest increases were found in formerly industrial areas with high levels of poverty and unemployment dating back to the ١٩٨٠s, including the North East, Wales, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West and the East Midlands.
Morgan pointed out that cocaine death figures included not only those who snorted the drug but also users who injected it or smoke crack cocaine in combination with opioids or counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs.
"The small decline in deaths related to cocaine should not be over-interpreted. Most important is that deaths relating to cocaine remain roughly quadruple what they were in ٢٠١٥ and are now more frequent than deaths relating to heroin or morphine," he said.
Meanwhile, ketamine was referenced in ١١٥ deaths last year - almost double the year before and up from just seven fatalities ١٠ years earlier.
Morgan said this was down to lower prices and use of the drug becoming normalised. He said there were increasing reports of young people becoming dependent on ketamine and suffering acute health difficulties such as bladder damage.
Anthony Irvin (pictured with sister Nyk) died from drug poisoning in ٢٠٢٥
Mike Trace, CEO of the addiction charity Forward Trust, said drug poisoning deaths remained high because of factors including the proliferation of very strong synthetic opioid drugs called nitazenes .
"We know that increasingly potent drugs like nitazenes are making their way on to the market. We know that established drugs like cocaine are growing in purity which means they come with much higher risks to users," he said.
Nitazenes can be many times more potent than heroin and have been linked to hundreds of UK deaths.
Tom Powell and Nyk Irvin's brother Anthony Irvin died from drug poisoning in Ramsgate in September ٢٠٢٥ at the age of ٥٢.
His siblings believe his death was caused by a supply of drugs being contaminated with synthetic opioids, but say delays in blood testing mean they will never know for sure.
"Today's figures are shocking," Powell said. "We are fighting to wake people up to the scale of the problem."
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