Cocaine use at 10-year high among wealthiest people

COCAINE use among the wealthiest people in England and Wales is at its highest for nearly a decade, Home Office figures show.

According to the latest government figures, 3.4per cent of 16 to 59-yearolds living in the richest households – those with an income of at least £50,000 – reported taking the drug in powder form last year.

This was a small increase on the year before and the highest recorded level since 2008-09, when 3.8 per cent of people in the most expensive homes admitted to using the drug.

The Home Office’s annual drug misuse report says powder cocaine use among those in the richest bracket has increased from 2.2per cent in 2014-15.

By contrast, the proportion of 16 to 59-year-olds in the lowest household income category – those earning under £10,000 – who reported taking the substance went down from 3.4per cent to 2per cent over the same period.

On Tuesday, Britain’s most senior police officer criticised middle-class cocaine users who believe there is “no harm” in taking the class A drug.

Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, said: “There are groups of middle-class people who will sit round happily thinking about global warming and fair trade and environmental protection and all sorts of things, organic food, but think there’s no harm in taking a bit of cocaine.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “Drugs devastate lives.”