# Cocaine overtakes heroin as the leading cause of drug deaths in England and Wales

https://mins.news/en/item/129201

- The Guardian, 2026-11-04 14:54 UTC
- Health
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/nov/04/cocaine-overtakes-heroin-drug-deaths-england-wales

> Office for National Statistics figures show cocaine was involved in more drug deaths in England and Wales than any other drug last year, causing 1,233 deaths. Drug-poisoning deaths fell slightly in 2025 to 5,519 but remained around twice the level of a decade earlier. Charities urged the government to act.