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1 in 4 drug-related deaths in Wales involve cocaine

02 Feb 2025 3 minute read
A Naloxone Syringe. Photo by VCU CNS is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

Latest figures from Public Health Wales (PHW) have confirmed that cocaine was involved in 65 deaths in 2023, accounting for a quarter of all drug misuse fatalities.

It also ranked as the third most common substance being used, behind opioids and benzodiazepines.

In total, 377 drug poisoning deaths were recorded in Wales in 2023 – a significant rise from 318 in 2022.

Of these, 253 were classified as drug misuse deaths, compared to 205 the previous year.

Opioids remain the leading cause, contributing to 167 deaths (66 per cent).

Take-home Naloxone

However, medication programmes like Take-home Naloxone (THN) have been very effective in treating opioid overdose.

Latest figures from PHW show that only 1.3 per cent of nearly 4,000 opioid overdose events since July 2013 resulted in deaths where THN was used.

THN kits are issued to people at risk of opioid overdose, following appropriate training, and are also available to their friends and family.

Administration of Naloxone provides time for emergency services to arrive and give further treatment.

At Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, opioids were recorded in 64.3 per cent of drug-related deaths, with heroin and morphine as the primary substances. Cocaine was the second most common substance, involved in 37.5 per cent of deaths. In Swansea Bay University Health Board, cocaine was recorded in the same number of cases as heroin / morphine.

Crack cocaine

Prof Rick Lines, Head of the Substance Misuse Programme at Public Health Wales, said: “These figures are consistent with information from local services that reflect increases in both powder cocaine and crack cocaine use across Wales. These evolving trends point to a need to expand our services to meet the needs of stimulant users generally, and particularly people who smoke crack cocaine who are often particularly vulnerable.

“The data this year on naloxone again shows the importance of this medication to our overdose prevention strategy. Naloxone is a safe and highly effective response to opiate overdose, and we encourage more people to utilise the free access we have in Wales to THN.

“The data shows again the links between social and economic deprivation and overdose risk, with drug-related deaths eight times more likely in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived. This shows that drug services alone are not the answer to reducing deaths, and that addressing wider determinants must also be a focus of our response.”

THN is available for free by calling Dan 24/7 on 0808 808 2234 or by visiting their website at dan247/org.uk

It also offers advice and support for queries about drugs or alcohol. Advisors are available 24 hours a day 365 days a year to answer questions and offer advice by calling 0808 808 2234 or email – [email protected].


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Doctor Trousers
4 days ago

when you say involved cocaine, did people overdose on cocaine, or on something cocaine was cut with?
nitazenes, an extremely potent and dangerous synthetic opioid, are being used as an adulterant in more and more drugs, even in stimulants like cocaine.
the life of someone overdosing on synthetic opioids can be saved with naloxone, but people need to know that someone could be OD’ing on opioids even if they think they’ve taken cocaine.
information about what drugs are actually harming people is more useful than what they thought they were taking, or what drug was “involved”

Neil Anderson
Neil Anderson
4 days ago

Doesn’t this just cry out for regulating cocaine and the opioids? And taxing them? Too simple? The tragedy of the loss of these lives was avoidable. Let’s do something about it, the pain to their families, and to themselves. Let’s not exclude alcohol nor tobacco. Prohibition has failed. Despite Eliot Ness. Society is punishing itself – ‘lock ’em up, let ’em rot’ might give sadistic vindication. But it is much more costly to all of us – if that’s all it can do. Even when age, sex, ethnicity, disability status etc are discounted, mere personhood must be given much more… Read more »

Doctor Trousers
4 days ago
Reply to  Neil Anderson

absolutely spot on.

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