Cocaine deaths are higher than ever as “ultra strength” purity floods UK market

Fatalities linked to cocaine use are currently at a record high, amid “ultra strength” purity levels circulating in the UK, per a new report from The Independent.

According to the study, which was conducted using test samples found at a 200,000-strong Cheltenham event earlier this year, cocaine with a purity of 85% has been discovered being distributed through the illegal market.

New figures also show that cocaine was linked to a record high of 1,279 deaths in the UK in 2024, up from 1,118 in 2023.

The Independent found that the purity of cocaine has risen from an average of 32% in the UK 13 years ago, to now regularly surpassing 80% across Europe.

According to drug science adviser Peter Cain, who tests drugs seized by UK police, purity levels sat at around 75% on average during COVID, but have since risen by at least 5%.

Speaking to The Independent, Cain explained: “It’s a buyer’s market. Users are getting a stronger product and they’re paying less, and this is at a time everyone else is paying more for beer and other things.”

The European Union Drugs Agency also noted last year that half of its states are currently seeing average cocaine purity levels between 66% and 81%, a drastic increase over the last decade. The UK was the largest consumer of the drug in Europe in 2023.

"Cocaine production in South America is at a record high, driving down wholesale prices, which organised crime groups trade at, to historic lows," says Adam Thompson, head of drugs threat at the NCA.

[Via: The Independent]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Associate Digital Editor