Cocaine: An IoS Special Investigation

A shocking picture of cocaine addiction in Britain will be revealed this week in a new international report on drug abuse.

Britons consume more cocaine than people in almost every other country in Europe, the report on drug use in 29 countries released this Thursday will show.

Evidence from UK officials, which has been given to European Union experts compiling the report, shows that use of cocaine has risen more than any other drug.

The most recent statistics in the report show its use has more than doubled among 16- to 24- year-olds over seven years.

Over the same period, ecstasy use has fallen. And although many more people smoke cannabis, use has stabilised compared with cocaine.

UK experts warn that the increase in cocaine use shows no sign of slowing, with the most dramatic rise among 15- to 34- year-olds.

There has also been a worrying increase in crack cocaine use, with seizures going up by 74 per cent between 2000 and 2004. The number of people involved in cocaine offences has also risen, with more than 8,000 arrests or cautions in 2004.

The findings from the annual report by the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drugs Addiction, which monitors drug use, is based on evidence from health and drug authorities across mainland Europe. New figures obtained by this newspaper also show that the proportion of cocaine-related drug deaths has risen year on year since records began in 1999.

The drug now accounts for more than 13 per cent of all drug-related deaths in Britain. In 2005, 171 people died after using cocaine, compared with 147 in 2004.

In an interview with this newspaper, the United Nations' most senior drugs officer warned of a "staggering" rise in the number of Britons using the drug.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, said: "A steadily growing number of Britons ... are being seduced by the 'white lady'. Either Europe snaps out of its state of denial or it should brace itself for the consequences."

Now widely affordable, cocaine has soared in popularity among clubbers, with more than three-quarters saying they have taken the drug, compared with only half in 2005.

In contrast, there has only been a small percentage rise in the number of users of ecstasy, which once dominated the club scene.

Clubs, keen to avoid getting labelled as magnets for drug users, have introduced special amnesty bins in an attempt to encourage people to hand over their drugs, without fear of police action, before a night out.

Growing concern about the rise of cocaine use will be among the drug issues discussed at the annual conference of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) being held in London on Tuesday.

Scotland Yard last year took the unprecedented step of using undercover officers to pose as dealers in a bid to target recreational users.

Anti-addiction charities are warning that people who take cocaine and binge drink risk liver failure in future years, because of the highly damaging effects of the mixture. People under 25 are particularly vulnerable.

They are also concerned that people will progress to crack cocaine. Harry Shapiro, from the charity Drugscope, said: "It would appear that cocaine is increasingly the class A drug of choice but there is a danger that some of these cocaine users will become crack users."

Additional reporting by Jonathan Owen

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