A wave of ‘ultra-strength’ cocaine is sweeping the UK, with drug-related deaths reaching a record high, according to an investigation by The Independent. Experts attribute the surge in purity to a boom in cocaine production in South America and diversified supply routes through Eastern Europe, leading to a reduced need to dilute the drug before street-level sale.
Undercover testing at the Cheltenham Festival, attended by over 200,000 people, found that two out of three samples sent for analysis had a purity of 85 per cent. One sample was collected from a baby changing facility. Dr Arijac Durrant, a postdoctoral researcher at Kingston University who conducted the tests, warned of a heightened risk of overdose for users accustomed to lower purity substances.
Former UK drugs tsar Mike Trace described the findings as “highly concerning” and called for urgent government action, highlighting that higher and unpredictable purity is a major risk factor for fatal overdoses. Cocaine use can cause heart attacks, strokes and seizures, with risks amplified when mixed with alcohol.
Data shows cocaine-related deaths have risen for 13 consecutive years, increasing by 14 per cent from 1,118 in 2023 to 1,279 in 2024. Hospital admissions for cocaine and crack cocaine use tripled over the decade to 2017-18. Peter Cain, a drug science adviser at Eurofins Forensic Services, noted that purity levels have risen above 80 per cent in the past five years, creating a “buyer’s market” where users get stronger product for less money.
The Jockey Club, which runs the Cheltenham Festival, expressed disappointment, stating that illegal drug use remains a wider societal issue. The UK government does not publish cocaine purity figures, but the National Crime Agency estimated average user-level purity at 32–38 per cent in 2013.
