Cocaine use hits record level

An explosion in middle-class drug use was blamed today for a rise to record levels of hard drug consumption.

A government survey found that 750,000 Britons took cocaine in 2003/4, up by 16 per cent on the previous year and up fourfold since

1996. Drugs charities blamed the trend on a flood of cheap cocaine onto the market.

Drugscope said the typical price per gram had fallen from £70 to £40 over a decade. A spokeswoman said: "Previously cocaine was very much the preserve of people with lots of money, like rock stars. Now a lot of young professionals are using it recreationally at the weekend.

"We need to work harder to get the message across that cocaine is a dangerous drug." According to the British Crime Survey, a Home Office poll, overall use of Class A drugs rose by five per cent during the year.

Increased use of cocaine and magic mushrooms was balanced by a fall in the number people taking crack, heroin, methadone and LSD.

Cocaine rose fastest among over-25s. But an increase in use among all age groups appeared to have

derailed the Government's target to cut Class A drug use among under-25s by 25 per cent between 1998 and 2005. The survey questioned more than 26,000 individuals between 16 and 59. Researchers found an estimated 3.8 million Britons took illegal drugs during the 12 months covered, with one million taking Class A drugs.

London headed illegal drug use with one in seven residents having taken at least one illegal drug in the year. The most likely group to take drugs were young, single adult males in inner cities who went out regularly to pubs and nightclubs.

Cannabis remains the most widely taken illegal drug, at 3.3 million adults, but its consumption has stayed steady, according to the survey, which was carried out before the cannabis law was relaxed. Separate Home Office research published today suggests treatment for hard-drugs addicts can be useful in cutting reoffending.