Ageing users and record deaths – the data behind Britain’s £9.8bn-a-year cocaine habit

Sewage samples and crime statistics paint a picture of established users taking more cocaine, more often

• Cocaine-linked crimes on the rise in Britain as consumption surges

• Pubs, festivals and workplaces: how cocaine has become an everyday habit

From pub toilets and private parties to football terraces and far-right marches, cocaine has become a familiar presence across modern Britain. Deaths linked to the drug have risen to record levels, while its supply supports a multibillion-pound criminal industry.

But who is using the drug, and how has the picture changed? The figures do not necessarily show millions of new users, but highlight an established market in which some people take more cocaine, more often – and face greater harm as they grow older.