How cocaine became the Uber of the drugs world, and what it says about Britain

A new report confirms the UK has the highest drug death rate in Europe. Like the canary in the coal mine, these record numbers dying as a result of using drugs should alert us all, but particularly those responsible for policy, that something isn’t right.

Instead ministers seem to be in denial. They boast about how their tough policies have resulted in fewer people using drugs. It does seem like a paradox that fewer people are using drugs but more are dying.

So we need to look around and see what else has been going on that might explain this. Drug related deaths have been rising since 2010. The same point when austerity kicked in and saw spending on public services like drug treatment cut. We know that drug treatment protects people who become dependent on alcohol and other drugs, so shrinking this safety net has a devastating impact: people die.

Some people are unlucky enough to die the first time they use a drug, for others there can be a time lag between first use and the creep of becoming dependent and losing their life. Clearly some drugs kill and some cause less serious problems. Cocaine can kill whereas cannabis won’t. So any data showing a rise in cocaine use isn’t just a current concern but serves as a warning of what lies ahead.

Today’s European drug report confirms that cocaine purity is increasing and the price is falling. After years of relatively stable cocaine use in the UK its popularity is surging.

The UK has the highest rate of crack cocaine treatment demand in Europe. Alarmingly, the report suggests that the cocaine market is seeing significant innovation by entrepreneurs who are providing “cocaine-exclusive” call-centres, suggesting an “uberisation” of the cocaine market.

It takes, on average, eleven years of cocaine use before an individual enters treatment. This extended period of use offers the potential to intervene early and reduce the chances of a fatal cocaine overdose. But not only are we shrinking the money we spend on treatment, we are targeting little of the money that’s left at preventing people developing a problem with drugs like cocaine in the first place.

Again, it’s worth thinking about why some drugs are popular at this point in time. Looking at the effects of cocaine perhaps explains why it’s such a good fit with the contemporary life many people experience.

In addition to being “good” value for money, cocaine usually makes you feel more confident, energetic and witty, even though others may not think so. Marry this to people with no job security, less money in their pocket and increasingly struggling with their self-esteem... Forget for a moment the drug is illegal and it looks like a cure for the just-about-managing generation.

People are adept at finding solutions to their problems, unsurprisingly they are drawn towards solutions that are accessible. Cocaine suppliers are working hard to innovate and ensure their product is just that. Contrast this with a withering health service and under investment in drug use prevention and you begin to see how unlikely reversing the record number of drug-related deaths looks.

On potential solution is to rethink the way we view problem drug use, instead of seeing this as a criminal matter we could view this as a health problem.

This is not just a semantic shift – it dictates the priority given to state services. Perceiving drug problems as a heath matter could improve funding for prevention and treatment, both critical if drug related mortality is to be arrested. Even the usually cautious UN this week endorsed this approach. Now we just need our political leaders to embrace it.