'Cocaine is easier to get than ordering a pizza, it's socially acceptable'

Key Points

Cocaine use in Scotland has become widespread and “socially acceptable,” with easier access than ever
Referrals for cocaine addiction at rehab centres have more than doubled in the past decade
Many people with mental health conditions are turning to cocaine for self-medication, worsening their symptoms
Cocaine Anonymous meetings are rapidly increasing, reflecting growing community demand for support
Cocaine-related deaths have risen nearly 1,000% since 2014, with hospital admissions quadrupling
The Scottish Government and police are taking action, but experts warn resources remain far behind the scale of the crisis

It was once a drug reserved for celebrities and the upper classes, but cocaine use in Scotland has skyrocketed in the last decade.

One recovering addict told STV News the drug has become “socially acceptable” and can be ordered faster and easier than a pizza.

Cocaine-related deaths have increased tenfold in the last nine years and it’s the second most common drug in post-mortem toxicology, after heroin.

‘I’ve spent more than £1m on cocaine and alcohol’

Mark says he has spent more than £1m on cocaine and alcohol. STV News

Mark, who is in his mid-50s and from North Lanarkshire, has been taking cocaine on and off for 30 years. He reckons he’s spent more than £1m on cocaine and alcohol during that period.

“I walked right into the acid house era of drugs and cocaine spiralled out of control,” he told STV News. “You just keep on chasing it.

Tell us your story

Have you been impacted by cocaine use?

“I was basically drinking and taking cocaine to get through the day. I would build up a tolerance, so I would need more and more.

“The parents now know about drugs, our parents didn’t. It might sound like fun at the start, going to the festivals, the TRNSMTs of the world, but once you start taking drugs during the week, it becomes a behavioural problem.

“You can get cocaine delivered easier and quicker than a pizza. That’s the world we live in now. I think we don’t want to look at it, but that’s reality.

“Something has to change or we’re going to go through a whole era of kids who don’t understand the consequences of this drug.

“We don’t have enough resources at all. It’s way past epidemic levels, to be honest.”

‘Cocaine has become socially acceptable’

Castle Craig Hospital in East Linton provides residential rehab for NHS and private patients.

Referrals for cocaine addiction at the facility have more than doubled in the last decade.

Rory, from St Andrews in Fife, has been in recovery at Castle Craig for four weeks.

The 36-year-old has ADHD and initially felt like cocaine was helping him focus on his new business, but the habit quickly spiralled out of control

“With cocaine addiction, there’s no happy ending,” Rory told STV News. “You lie, you deceive, you do anything you can, you put your addiction first. You put it before your own children even.

“I found myself using three-and-a-half grammes a week of really strong cocaine. The only times I stopped were to give myself a break – my nose, my sleep. Subconsciously, I knew I was addicted, but I was refusing to admit it to myself.

“It has become socially acceptable and it absolutely should not be. It’s socially unacceptable. What it does to a person – and it does this to everyone – not just me.

“In the UK, it’s so rife. The dealers are giving you good deals on buying larger quantities. It’s a crisis and it’s not being taken seriously enough.

“I would assume that on Friday and Saturday night, it’s probably in almost every busy pub up and down the country, you will find cocaine in somebody’s pocket. It’s that far-reaching now. In the last 10 years, it’s got noticeably worse

“It got to a point where it becomes life or death. I managed to pull myself out of that. I was very, very close.”

More people with mental health disorders are using cocaine

Residential rehab bosses say people struggling to access mental health services are now using stronger and larger quantities of the drug to self-medicate.

Peter McCann, the medical director at Castle Craig, says the facility is facing a worrying combination of purer cocaine and younger patients.

He told STV News: “I’m seeing more people with anxiety disorders, PTSD, depression, using cocaine because they feel it’s helping to treat their mental health problem. They don’t realise until it’s too late that it’s making the symptoms worse in the long run.

“A lot of people with co-morbid drug and mental health problems fall between the cracks because addiction services in the community are separated, and they prefer not to take people with both problems. They get juggled between the two services.”

Although they’re seeing more patients, only around 20% are NHS funded.

“I am concerned we are two steps behind in terms of drug use,” said Mr McCann.

“We’re not seeing a proportionate increase in people getting treatment who need it, especially people from socially deprived areas.

“GPs should be able to get them into community services easily.

“But those who need to come to specialised service like ours for treatment, the journey to get there is very difficult.”

‘We’ve gone from two meetings a week to seven’

At 7.30pm on a Sunday at a community church in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, preparations are under way for the weekly Cocaine Anonymous meeting.

More chairs are needed every week to accommodate the growing number of attendees.

Tony* from Cocaine Anonymous said: “To give you an idea, in East Kilbride alone, we’ve gone from two meetings a week to seven meetings a week.

“In the last three years alone, we’ve gone from two meetings a week to seven meetings a week, so it gives you an idea of the problem. It gives you an idea of that ‘this stuff actually works’.

“There are certainly a lot more young people coming to the meetings, a lot more women.

“It’s self-sustaining, so the more people that come to Cocaine Anonymous and do the 12 steps, they can then help other people through the programme.

“The purity of cocaine is a lot higher now than it was a few years ago.

“It could be that it’s bringing young people to their knees a lot quicker, and they’re coming through the doors of Cocaine Anonymous quicker.”

What are the dangers of cocaine?

Cocaine is a highly addictive drug.

Most commonly snorted, smoked or injected, it delivers a sense of euphoria, then paranoia and anxiety

It can also increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and heart attacks,

But the number of deaths from cocaine is on the rise too – from 45 in 2014, to 479 in 2023 – an increase of almost 1,000%.

It’s now the second most common drug in post-mortem toxicology after heroin.

The rates of cocaine-related hospital stays have increased fourfold over the last decade

And powder cocaine is now the most commonly reported substance in specialist drug treatment assessments

What is the Scottish Government saying?

Maree Todd, Scotland’s new drugs minister, says her government is committed to building capacity in residential rehab by offering 1,000 funded beds per year.

“I absolutely accept that the changing pattern of drug use in Scotland is a challenge that we have to rise to, and have been trying to rise to,” she told STV News.

“Can we do more? I’m sure. We are trying to work with partners right across the board. It is undoubtedly causing a great deal of harm in our population.”

Now on the road to recovery, both Rory and Mark want to tell their stories in the hope that it stops other young people from following in their footsteps.

Rory said: “The biggest achievement I’ve made in my life has been breaking this pattern of addiction. This is better than any high I have ever experienced on drugs.”

Mark added: “I understand it now, but I need to understand it every day of my life – this is a journey I will need to continue that has no end to it. It’s always sitting there waiting on you, that’s what addiction is.”

What are the police doing about the situation?

Superintendent Joanne McEwan said: “Controlled substances are dangerous and cause real harm to individuals, families and communities, and Police Scotland works closely with partners to support people who use drugs to access health and support services.

“We remain focused on targeting individuals and organised crime groups, who selfishly exploit vulnerable people solely for their own financial gain.

“Between May and June this year more than £8m worth of drugs have been removed from Scotland’s streets.

“Results like this show our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy.

“We rely on information from the public and anyone with information or concerns about drugs should contact Police Scotland on 101 or make a call anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Anyone affected by the issues in this story can contact Cocaine Anonymous at https://www.cascotland.org.uk/ or by calling their Scottish helpline 0141 959 6363.

Alternatively, people can get in touch with Castle Craig here.