Cocaine overtakes heroin as most used drug by those starting rehab in Scotland

Cocaine is the most used drug by those requiring specialist treatment, overtaking heroin for the first time, according to Public Health Scotland.

A total of 16,507 people were recorded on the Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) accessing specialist alcohol and/or drug treatment.

Almost a third of those starting treatment were female and 68% were male. The average age of those seeking help for alcohol abuse was 47, which is more than ten years older than those requiring treatment for drug use.

Those seeking help to overcome problematic use of alcohol and drugs were aged 33 on average.

The report reveals that 30% of people starting specialist drug treatment in Scotland were taking cocaine, overtaking heroin (28%) for the first time since drug reporting began.

Half of the people accessing co-dependency treatment said cocaine was the main drug they consumed and 30% drank spirits as their main alcohol.

And 35% of people in the co-dependency cohort who reported cocaine as their main drug used it at least once a day.

Of the 1,538 people who reported cocaine as their main drug, 37% (570) used it two to six times a week, 20% (307) used it once daily and 17% (254) used it two to three times daily.

Among specific illicit drugs, cocaine was the most commonly reported drug in Scotland in 2023/24 with 46% (2,355) of people reporting recent use, followed by heroin (32%; 1,633), cannabis (29%; 1457), and benzodiazepines (21%; 1,040).