Cocaine has overtaken heroin as the substance most often involved in drug deaths for the first time on record, official figures show.
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figures → overtake → record
The Class A powder was involved in 1,233 fatalities in England and Wales last year - compared to 1,210 linked to heroin and morphine, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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powder → involve → Statistics
This is the first time cocaine has been associated with more deaths than the opioids since records began in 1993.
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records → associate → 1993
Although the number of cocaine-related deaths has fallen slightly since 2024 - when the total was 1,279 - experts say fatalities 'remained historically high'.
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fatalities → relate → 2024
Drug charities have warned that the trend is as a result of the substance becoming 'increasingly socially acceptable' and available at cheaper prices than ever before.
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substance → warn → prices
The ONS figures show almost all cocaine-related deaths occurred in England last year - 1,143 fatalities, compared with 79 in Wales.
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deaths → show → Wales
The Daily Mail's interactive map reveals how many cocaine-related deaths were recorded in each region.
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deaths → reveal → region
London recorded the highest number with 177 victims.
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London → record → victims
The area with the fewest deaths linked to cocaine was the North East of England (80), which includes cities like Newcastle, Sunderland and Durham.
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which → link → Newcastle
This was followed by the East of England, which recorded 88 deaths.
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which → follow → deaths
Behind London, the North West, home to cities like Liverpool and Manchester, had the second-highest number of cocaine deaths with 175.
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West → have → 175
Nearly eight in ten of the cocaine deaths were men, while 20 per cent were female, the figures show.
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figures → show → deaths
The vast majority of deaths linked to cocaine in England were in middle-aged adults.
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majority → link → adults
More than a third were people aged 40 to 49, while another third were between 50 and 69.
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third → age → 50
Only 136 of the fatalities involved those in their 20s, while nine were 19 and under.
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nine → involve → 20s
Seven of the recorded victims were over the age of 70.
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Seven → record → 70
Overall, cocaine-related deaths across England and Wales fell by 3 per cent between 2024 and 2025 (by 46).
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deaths → relate → 46
Despite this, Simon Phillips, chief executive of drug and alcohol charity WithYou, said there are still too many 'preventable deaths' happening each year.
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Phillips → say → WithYou
'Each number is a person, with family, friends, and a future, and their loss is felt every day,' he said.
'
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he → feel → family
Cocaine has overtaken heroin as the drug most commonly linked to deaths in England and Wales for the first time on record, official figures show
Robin Pollard, the charity's head of policy and external communications, warned that cocaine had become 'far more prevalent' in recent years.
He also said the price of a gram of the drug has dropped by around 40 per cent over the last six years.
'It has also become easier to purchase in all parts of the country, has become increasingly socially acceptable, and of higher purity,' Mr Pollard added.
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Pollard → overtake → purity
He urged anyone struggling with substance abuse to visit the charity's website.
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He → urge → website
Overall, 5,519 people died from drug poisoning in England and Wales last year, down slightly from 5,565 in 2024.
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people → die → 2024
David Mais, head of mortality statistics at the ONS, said it was the first fall in drug-related deaths for more than a decade.
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it → say → decade
However, he added: 'Deaths from drug poisoning remain historically high.
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Deaths → add → poisoning
More than twice as many men as women died from drug poisoning, and the gap between the sexes reached a record high.
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gap → die → high
'For the first time, cocaine overtook heroin as the substance most often involved in drug deaths.'
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cocaine → overtake → deaths
The ONS data does not specify how people died.
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people → specify → ?
However, cocaine can trigger deadly heart attacks and strokes by narrowing arteries, raising blood pressure and heart rate, as well as constricting blood vessels in the brain.
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cocaine → trigger → brain
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