Britain ‘tops cocaine use in Europe’: survey

Britain heads the European league table of cocaine use, an official survey showed on Wednesday.

The report by the European drugs agency said one in 10 Britons aged 15-64 had taken cocaine at some point in their lives, rising to more than one in seven for the 15-34 age group.

The government is due to publish a drugs strategy soon following an intense debate on whether cocaine is more damaging than alcohol.

The report showed Spain was second on the league table and Ireland fourth.

In both the UK and Spain, "the use of the drug increased dramatically in the late 1990s, before moving to a more stable, though generally upward, trend," it said. Prevalence among young adults aged 15-34 had increased by about 50 per cent since 2003.

Crime Prevention Minister James Brokenshire said: "We will enhance border security and target the drugs barons through a new National Crime Agency which will include a dedicated Border Police Command.

"A temporary banning system, due next year, will also strengthen our response to emerging drugs."

He said the government's new approach to treatment will be results-driven and set out in a new strategy to be published next month.