How super-strength cocaine is causing record deaths linked to the drug

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleCocaine-related deaths in the UK have reached record levels, with 1,279 fatalities in 2024, marking a 14 per cent increase from the previous year, driven by a surge in "ultra strength" cocaine. An investigation by The Independent at the Cheltenham Festival found cocaine samples with purity levels as high as 85 per cent, significantly exceeding the 32-38 per cent average reported in 2013. Experts attribute the increased purity and availability to a boom in cocaine production in South America and more diverse supply routes, leading to a "buyer's market" where stronger products are cheaper. Former drugs tsar Mike Trace described the situation as a "health scandal," warning that unpredictable high purity poses a significant overdose risk, especially for users accustomed to weaker substances. Calls are being made for urgent government action, including implementing drug checking programmes and increasing funding for drug and alcohol treatment, as current strategies are deemed insufficient to tackle the rising death toll. In full‘Ultra-strength’ cocaine hits UK streets as deaths surge to record highThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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