Cocaine use has tripled over last two decades in UK
COCAINE use in the UK has more than tripled over the last two decades.
It is no longer “the preserve of wealthy bankers and celebrities”, a report says.
The Class A drug has spread throughout British society since the mid-1990s due to the emergence of cheap low-purity versions alongside more expensive purer powdered forms.
Cocaine is now the second most commonly used illegal drug in the UK after cannabis and a quarter of the 1,200 criminal gangs in London are linked to the trade, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs warns.
It says 743,000 people used the drug in 2014.
Long-term cocaine use is known to cause heart problems, mental health issues and nasal injuries.
