How cocaine conquered the UK: in pubs, festivals and workplaces the drug has become an everyday habit
Previously considered a middle-class drug, price drops have made cocaine more widely available, and created a new set of problems Cocaine-linked crimes on the rise in Britain as consumption surges Ageing users and record deaths – the data behind Britain’s £9.8bn-a-year cocaine habit Lisa* is watching Scissor Sisters at a festival in the Lake District, a can of cider in hand, dancing along to the music on a sunny afternoon. The 30-year-old has a few days off from her job as a veterinary nurse in
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Previously considered a middle-class drug, price drops have made cocaine more widely available, and created a new set of problems
- Cocaine-linked crimes on the rise in Britain as consumption surges
- Ageing users and record deaths – the data behind Britain’s £9.8bn-a-year cocaine habit
Lisa* is watching Scissor Sisters at a festival in the Lake District, a can of cider in hand, dancing along to the music on a sunny afternoon.
The 30-year-old has a few days off from her job as a veterinary nurse in Gateshead, where she lives with her fiance. She loves going to festivals, especially as “I love meeting new people,” she says.
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About this article
- Length
- 108 words · 1 min read
- Published
- October 25, 2026
- Byline
- Guardian Staff
- Source
- The Guardian