British police are recording a growing number of crimes linked to cocaine, including assaults, domestic abuse and dangerous driving, as figures show consumption has surged across England. A Guardian investigation has found that police forces across Britain recorded a 10% rise in crime rates associated with the class A drug since 2019, while the Home Office estimates that cocaine use at sites across England has risen by 26% since 2021.
Cocaine is a powerful and addictive stimulant that causes euphoria, overconfidence, restlessness and paranoia. Experts have warned that its use can cause already fraught situations to escalate, potentially leading to violent incidents. The rise in consumption in recent years can be partly explained by historically low costs, while purity levels have remained high. Analysis of wastewater suggests people in England consumed 123,000kg of cocaine in 2024-25. That’s equivalent to roughly 2.5bn lines of cocaine, at an estimated street value of almost £10bn.
How big is Europe’s cocaine problem – and what is the human cost? Read more
Police recorded at least 29,922 crimes mentioning the word cocaine in 2025 – equivalent to 63.4 for every 100,000 people. That was up from 57.7 cases for every 100,000 in 2019. Figures up to May this year suggest that number could increase again in 2026 to about 64 cases in every 100,000 people – a rise of more than 10% over seven years.
Martin Gallagher, an author and organised crime expert who served as a police officer in Scotland for 28 years, said cocaine use had become normalised: “It went from being the drug of the social elite to being something taken off the cistern of a toilet in a local pub.”
A majority of cocaine-associated crimes last year were drug offences – but 18% were violent crimes, including stalking and harassment and one murder case. Just under 4% of crime reports mentioning the word cocaine were sexual offences, including 344 rapes.
Graph showing rise in crimes mentioning cocaine. Recorded crimes mentioning cocaine per 100,000 people.
Separate figures highlight cocaine’s role in domestic abuse cases. Nearly six in 10 police drug tests carried out on people arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse were positive for cocaine between July 2025 and June this year. The data, drawn from the Home Office’s drug test on arrest programme, is not representative, as some tests were only taken after police already suspected drug use. However, the results tally with a 2023 pilot study that found 59% of domestic abuse suspects tested positive for cocaine or opiates.
Harry Sumnall, a professor in substance use at Liverpool John Moores University, said: “Scientific reviews have found no strong evidence that cocaine directly induces violent behaviour, but domestic violence is often rooted in power, and both perpetrators and survivors describe cocaine intoxication escalating loss of control and jealousy, leading to violent incidents, and making existing abuse more frequent and more severe.” He cautioned that a mention of cocaine in a crime record did not prove the drug had caused the offence.
View image in fullscreen. Cocaine went from being ‘the drug of the social elite to being something taken off the cistern of a toilet in a local pub’. Photograph: Andriy Popov/Alamy
Separate DVLA data obtained by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart found that drug-driving offences overtook drink-driving offences for the first time last year. There were 30,707 drug offences added to driving licences (up by 28% since 2022), and 29,769 drink-driving offences (down by 17%) in 2025.
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Government figures suggest that cocaine and cannabis are the most common illegal drugs involved in road fatalities. Figures obtained by the RAC suggest that drug-drivers are far more likely to reoffend than drink-drivers – meaning a smaller subset of repeat drug-driversThis could be behind the rise. Paul Court, a deputy chief constable and deputy lead for drugs at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, warned that demand for illegal drugs sustains a “highly profitable criminal market built upon violence, exploitation and intimidation,” and that police enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. An independent report last year by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs found that the UK lacks a coordinated drug prevention strategy with dedicated funding, despite international evidence showing that drug prevention programmes work. Stubbornly glamorous cocaine lures us into addiction. Read more. Court added: “We have to reduce demand, prevent people being drawn into drug use in the first place, reduce harm and ensure those whose offending or vulnerability is linked to drug dependency have opportunities to access treatment and support.” The Guardian contacted all 45 police forces in the UK under the Freedom of Information Act, requesting figures for crimes mentioning the word cocaine. Of these, 39 responded with data. Not every force had records for each year or a breakdown of the types of crime associated with the drug. London’s Metropolitan police were not able to provide any data. Data was taken from keyword searches of police summary notes, so it does not necessarily mean that cocaine formed part of the offence. The figures may include some crimes tangentially related to the drug—for example, if a witness stated that someone was known to use cocaine. Other crimes, where the drug was misspelled or mentioned in a different part of the notes, may be missing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the rise in cocainerelated crimes in Britain written in a natural conversational tone
Beginner Questions
1 What exactly counts as a cocainerelated crime
It covers a wide range of offences This includes possessing cocaine selling it importing it or manufacturing it It also includes crimes committed while under the influence like driving under the influence of drugs or committing theft to fund a habit
2 Why are cocainerelated crimes going up in Britain right now
The simple answer is that more people are using cocaine When demand for a drug goes up the illegal market around it grows This leads to more dealing more smuggling and more associated crimes like violence between rival gangs or theft to pay for the drug
3 Is cocaine use really surging or is it just that the police are catching more people
Its a bit of both but experts agree that actual use is rising Surveys and wastewater analysis show that cocaine use is at record highs in the UK Better police work plays a role but the main driver is higher demand
4 What are the most common cocainerelated crimes the police deal with
The most common are possession and supply Police also deal with a lot of acquired crimethings like shoplifting burglary or fraud committed by users who need money to buy the drug
5 What is the difference between possession and intent to supply
Possession means having a small amount of cocaine for your own personal use Intent to supply means having a larger amount or having it bagged up in small deals which suggests you plan to sell it to others The penalties for supply are much harsher
6 What are the penalties for a cocainerelated crime in the UK
They can be severe Possession can lead to up to 7 years in prison and an unlimited fine Supply and production can lead to life imprisonment The actual sentence depends on the severity of the offence and the persons criminal history
7 Why is cocaine so expensive and does that stop people from using it
Cocaine is expensive because its an illegal import that requires a complex and risky supply chain The high price doesnt stop everyone but it is a major factor It often leads users to commit crimes to afford their habit
