Published: 29 January 2025
Latest figures from Public Health Wales show that cocaine was involved in 65 deaths in 2023, accounting for a quarter of all drug misuse fatalities and ranking as the third most common substance, following opioids and benzodiazepines.
Services like Dan 24/7 are vital in offering advice and support for queries about drugs or alcohol. Advisors are available 24 hours a day 365 days a year to answer questions and offer advice by calling 0808 808 2234 or email - dan@helpline.wales.
In 2023, 377 drug poisoning deaths were recorded in Wales – a significant rise from 318 in 2022. Of these, 253 were classified as drug misuse deaths, compared to 205 the previous year. Opioids remain the leading cause, contributing to 167 deaths (66 per cent).
Medication programmes like Take-home Naloxone (THN) have been hugely effective in treating opioid overdose. Latest figures from Public Health Wales show that only 1.3 per cent of nearly 4,000 opioid overdose events since July 2013 resulted in deaths where THN was used.
Following training, THN kits are issued to people at risk of opioid overdose and are also available to their friends and family. Administration of Naloxone provides time for emergency services to arrive and give further treatment. THN has proven absolutely vital for communities across Wales, and it is available for free by calling Dan 24/7 on 0808 808 2234 or by visiting their website at dan247/org.uk
At Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, opioids were recorded in 64.3 per cent of drug-related deaths, with heroin and morphine as the primary substances. Cocaine was the second most common substance, involved in 37.5 per cent of deaths. In Swansea Bay University Health Board, cocaine was recorded in the same number of cases as heroin / morphine.
Prof Rick Lines, Head of the Substance Misuse Programme at Public Health Wales, said: "These figures are consistent with information from local services that reflect increases in both powder cocaine and crack cocaine use across Wales. These evolving trends point to a need to expand our services to meet the needs of stimulant users generally, and particularly people who smoke crack cocaine who are often particularly vulnerable.
“The data this year on naloxone again shows the importance of this medication to our overdose prevention strategy. Naloxone is a safe and highly effective response to opiate overdose, and we encourage more people to utilise the free access we have in Wales to THN.
"The data shows again the links between social and economic deprivation and overdose risk, with drug-related deaths eight times more likely in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived. This shows that drug services alone are not the answer to reducing deaths, and that addressing wider determinants must also be a focus of our response."
For more information on the Wales Drug and Alcohol Helpline, please visit the DAN 24/7 website at dan247.org.uk