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Cocaine overtakes heroin in drug deaths in England and Wales

Cocaine was mentioned in 1,233 deaths registered in 2025, while the overall drug-poisoning death rate fell for the first time since 2012, official figures show.

Written by AI from 3 sources

Photo: BBC News

  • Cocaine was mentioned in 1,233 drug-poisoning deaths registered in England and Wales in 2025, more than the 1,210 linked to heroin or morphine. The Office for National Statistics figures make cocaine the most common single substance involved. BBC NewsSky NewsThe Guardian

  • Ketamine-linked deaths reached a record 115, almost twice the 2024 figure. The overall drug-poisoning death rate fell to 92.4 per million people, its first annual decline since 2012. BBC News

  • Regional differences remained stark: the drug-death rate was more than twice as high in the North East as in London. Charities said the government must act to reverse the cocaine-related trend. BBC NewsThe Guardian