Cocaine overtakes heroin as leading cause of drug deaths in England and Wales

Over the past ten years, the number of deaths caused by cocaine use in England and Wales has nearly quadrupled, surpassing heroin-related fatalities for the first time. In 2025, cocaine was involved in more than 20% of drug poisoning deaths registered, making it the substance most frequently linked to such cases. Charities have attributed this rise to the increased purity and accessibility of cocaine.

In addition to cocaine, ketamine-related deaths reached a record high, with 115 fatalities reported in 2025—almost double the figure from 2024, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Despite this, the overall drug poisoning death rate declined for the first time since 2012, though experts warn that the disparity between regions is widening. For example, the North East recorded drug death rates more than twice those found in London.

The total number of drug poisoning deaths in England and Wales for 2025 was 5,519, which translates to 92.4 deaths per million people. Cocaine was mentioned in 1,233 instances—slightly fewer than the previous year but still higher than the 1,210 deaths associated with heroin or morphine, which also saw a reduction compared to the prior year. While deaths involving combined opiates and opioids remain more numerous, the ONS noted a delay often exists between when deaths occur and when they are officially registered.

Additional figures from other UK regions highlight troubling trends. The National Records of Scotland reported an 11% increase in drug deaths during 2025 compared to the previous year, marking the highest mortality rate in Europe. Similarly, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency found drug-related deaths rose by 7.1% between the periods 2021-2023 and 2022-2024