Cocaine now tops drug poisoning deaths in England and Wales

Cocaine was linked to more than one in five drug poisoning deaths registered in England and Wales in 2025, overtaking heroin as the leading single substance, ONS data show. Cocaine-related deaths have nearly quadrupled in a decade, while ketamine-linked deaths hit a record 115. Overall drug deaths fell for the first time since 2012, though rates remain far higher in the North East than in London.