A lethal wave of 'ultra-strength' cocaine is emerging across the UK, with deaths linked to the drug reaching a record high, an investigation has found. The Independent collected samples from toilet surfaces at the Cheltenham Festival, where two out of three tested had 85 per cent purity.
Experts attribute the rise to a cocaine boom in South America and increasingly diverse supply routes from eastern Europe, flooding the UK market and reducing the need to cut the drug. Former drugs tsar Mike Trace called the findings 'highly concerning' and urged government action over the 'health scandal'.
Dr Arijac Durrant, who conducted the testing at Kingston University, warned of a heightened risk of overdose for users accustomed to lower purity. The National Crime Agency estimated average street-level purity at 32-38 per cent in 2013, but Eurofins Forensic Services reports levels now above 80 per cent.
Cocaine-related deaths have risen for 13 consecutive years, increasing 14 per cent from 1,118 in 2023 to 1,279 in 2024. Hospital admissions for cocaine use tripled over the decade to 2017-18. The Jockey Club, which runs Cheltenham, expressed disappointment, noting drug use is a wider societal issue.
