EXCLUSIVE: An new study has revealed that two British cities lead the continent in cocaine use – with one also topping the rankings for party drug ketamine amid warnings of a crisis of ‘normalisation’
Two British cities have the highest levels of cocaine detected in sewage in all of Europe, according to an alarming new study.
New multi-city data from the European Union Drugs Agency shows that Middlesbrough leads the continent for both weekday and weekend levels, with Bristol coming in second.
Bristol – where issues have long been reported with ketamine use due to its high student population and lively party scene – is also number one in Europe for amounts of the horse tranquiliser found in wastewater.
Wastewater or sewage-based studies are regarded as a reliable method of tracking drug trends compared to surveys, as they provide a measurement of a city’s habits without relying on people to tell the truth.
READ MORE: £100k drug mule ‘Haley Escobar’ snared by her DNA and hidden listening deviceREAD MORE: Inside ex-Tory MP Crispin Blunt’s chemsex parties in meth-filled den with grim rules
In the newly-released data recorded last year, Middlesbrough’s weekday average was found to be 2487.94 milligrams of cocaine per 1,000 people per day on weekdays – compared to 1039.05 in European party capital Amsterdam. This rose to just over 3,000 on weekends, when people are more likely to be taking the drug in pubs and nightclubs.
Bristol showed a reading of 1280.09 on weekdays, and 1517.27 on weekends.
But its weekend numbers for ketamine at 350 mg/1000p/day dwarfed even those of clubbing destination Berlin, which came in at a much lower 145.83.
Numbers for London, Manchester, and Glasgow did not feature in the EU’s latest study, though these cities have appeared near the top of European rankings for cocaine levels in previous wastewater studies.
A government spokesperson told the Mirror: ““Ketamine and cocaine are extremely dangerous substances – and the use in our cities is deeply concerning.”
“We will continue to work across health, policing and wider public services to drive down drug use and stop those who profit from its supply.”
“We are also strengthening our border security to tackle the criminal gangs putting lives at risk. A record number of illegal drugs were seized by police and Border Force in the year to March 2025, including 23,706 seizures of powder cocaine.”
It follows previous warnings that cocaine use has become alarmingly ‘normalised’ in many British towns and cities, with some users openly taking it in pubs, at football matches and on public transport. Assistant Chief Constable Paul Court of National Police Chiefs’ Council said last month that many people now believe it to be a “harmless and socially acceptable recreational drug.”
The EU study also showed that a number of illicit substances, such as MDMA, amphetamine (‘speed’), and meth, appear to be far more popular among drug users in continental Europe than they are in Britain.
Traces of these drugs were twice as prevalent in measurements taken across the east of Germany, Scandanavia and the Netherlands when compared to cities in the UK.
