New analysis of wastewater samples has shown significant increases in the number of people consuming party drugs, a Home Office report has shown.
The study, which analysed wastewater from treatment plants covering 25% of England’s population, found that Ketamine use in England has surged by 85% in the past year. The analysis also revealed significant increases in MDMA consumption (up 52%) and cocaine use (up 7%). Meanwhile, heroin, amphetamine, and methamphetamine use decreased by 11%, 18%, and 30%, respectively.
The analysis, conducted between January and April 2024, tested wastewater from 18 treatment plants for 20 different substances, with detailed consumption estimates produced for six key drugs. Results were compared to the same period in the previous year to calculate trends.
The Home Office has been taking samples from wastewater treatment plants across England and Scotland since 2021. Wastewater consumption estimates have an advantage over drug surveys, as self-reported data can often be unreliable, especially when asking people to talk about their own drug use. However, wastewater analysis also has limitations as it can only test for the quantity of individual drugs, and not for the amount each person uses or the purity of substances.
Results are measured in milligrams per 1,000 people per day, with the Home Office adjusting the findings for ‘retail purity’ for cocaine and heroin, meaning they are showing an estimate of the quantity of the average strength of heroin or cocaine taken per person per day, not pure heroin or cocaine. Limited data exists for ketamine, MDMA, amphetamine and methamphetamine use, so purity figures were not adjusted from 2023 to 2024 for these substances.
The findings follow a recent announcement by the policing minister, Dame Diana Johnson, that the UK Government is seeking advice on upgrading ketamine from its current Class B classification.
“The government will seek expert advice on reclassifying ketamine to become a Class A substance, after illegal use of the drug reached record levels in the year ending March 2023,” said a Home Office statement in January 2025.
“The prevalence of the drug in England and Wales has risen significantly in recent years. In the year ending March 2023, an estimated 299,000 people aged 16-59 reported ketamine use in the last year – the largest number on record.”
