For years now the scale of the cocaine and heroin problem in Bristol has been a concern, with recent figures revealing alarming trends. The city maintains its position as having one of the highest numbers of users in the South West for these types of drugs and, worryingly, they can often still be obtained for “pocket money” prices.
Public Health England statistics had previously shown that 4,943 adults in Bristol, between the ages of 15 and 64, were using crack cocaine as well as opiates. Recent data now shows an even more concerning picture, with drug poisoning causing 153 deaths in Bristol between 2021 and 2023, of which 117 were men and 46 were women.
According to the reports findings a large number of dealers in the city make the supply of ‘crack rocks’ plentiful, with 24-hour access to the drug for as little as £5 per deal.
In the South West in total, it was estimated that 30,000 drug users were taking both crack cocaine and opiates like heroin, or opiate-based prescription drugs. This problem has only got worse, with cocaine-related deaths seeing a dramatic increase nationwide.
Use of other drugs such as cocaine in powder form, amphetamines (speed), MDMA (ecstasy) or cannabis are not included in these figures, suggesting the total number of drug users could be significantly higher.
In other local areas, the report highlighted that Weston-super-Mare, Bath and North East Somerset, and South Gloucestershire have all struggled with drug issues, though precise current figures are not available.
The findings also show that it is not just the younger people of the south west that are addicted to crack and opiates. This matches national trends showing drug use affecting all age groups, with particularly elevated rates among those aged 40 to 49.
Zoom Testing has seen an increase in demand for cocaine drug testing kits, as well as cannabis test kits.
Is Bristol Still the Cocaine Capital of Europe?
A previous study had suggested that Bristol was the cocaine capital of Europe. Scientists looked at sewage from dozens of cities around Europe to explore drug-taking habits. The study was commissioned by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug addiction.
The study measured wastewater in 73 cities in 20 countries in Europe, with a total population of around 46 million. It looked at the level of contamination of drugs in water. For Cocaine, the benzoylecgonine loads were analysed. Bristol showed the highest city contamination level of 969.2mg per 1,000 people, followed by Amsterdam with 932.4mg and Zurich with 856.0mg.
Recent national figures from 2024 show the cocaine crisis has only worsened, with drug poisoning deaths reaching record levels across England and Wales. There were 1,118 cocaine-related deaths in 2023, a 31% increase from 2022 and nearly ten times higher than in 2011. The emergence of new threats such as “pink cocaine” and synthetic opioids like Nitazenes has further complicated the situation.
The level of water contamination by cocaine in London was not studied in the original research. However, it is generally accepted that the level of contamination of water by cocaine in London would be higher than that in Bristol.
Photo Credit: “Bristol City Centre at Night (HDR)” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by LukeAndrew94
Zoom Testing is a leading UK drug testing company and a supplier of Drug Test Kits.
This post was originally published in 2019. It was last updated in December 2024.
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