Cocaine overtakes heroin as leading cause of drug deaths in England and Wales
Summary
Cocaine was involved in 22% of drug-poisoning deaths registered in England and Wales in 2025, making it the leading drug involved in these deaths for the first time. Overall, 5,519 drug-poisoning deaths were registered, 46 fewer than in 2024, but the rate remained about twice the level of a decade earlier.Key Facts
- Cocaine was involved in 1,233 deaths in 2025.
- Cocaine-specific deaths were four times higher than a decade earlier and eight times higher than in 2010.
- People over 40 accounted for 64% of registered cocaine deaths.
- The north-east of England had the highest drug-death rate, at 135.2 per million people; London had the lowest, at 58.3 per million.
- Drug-death rates were five times higher in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived areas.
- Ketamine was mentioned in 115 deaths in 2025, up from 27 in 2020 and seven in 2015.
- Drug charities called for more action and treatment support, and criticized the government’s response.
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