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The Guardian view on cocaine and domestic abuse: new links between drugs and crime need investigating | Editorial
England and Wales recorded a slight fall in drug deaths, the first since 2012, but cocaine deaths have risen enough to overtake heroin deaths for the first time. New evidence of cocaine use among people arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse raises concerns about how changing drug patterns affect families and public health.
Nearly six in 10 drug tests on domestic abuse suspects were positive for cocaine in the year to June. The article also notes that drug deaths have more than doubled since the 1990s to 5,519, and that police and Border Force made a record 269,321 drug seizures in the year to March 2025. It argues that frozen treatment funding should be reconsidered, with research into cocaine and domestic abuse and a renewed, joined-up drug strategy.
In short
- Cocaine has overtaken heroin in drug deaths.
- Nearly six in 10 tested domestic abuse suspects had cocaine in their system.
- The article calls for renewed treatment funding and research.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The rise in cocaine-positive tests among people suspected of domestic abuse, alongside increasing cocaine deaths, warrants focused research and a stronger public health response. Supporters of this approach argue that better evidence, accessible treatment and coordination between health and justice services could reduce harm to users and their families, while funding should reflect the scale of the problem.
The case against
The figures show an association, not that cocaine causes domestic abuse, and test results from suspects cannot establish how common use is among perpetrators or what role it played. A careful advocate would prioritise sound research before redirecting limited treatment funds or expanding interventions, while stressing that abuse must be addressed in its own right and that drug policy should not blur responsibility for it.
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