In December 2025, a unprecedented observation has put cocaine back at the heart of the debate: its trafficking has generated more money than that of cannabis on the French market. Although cannabis remains the most consumed drug in France, Cocaine consumption has increased significantly. However, with higher production yields and lower prices, this trend has led to a real increase in profit margins for producers., explains to Science and Future Clotilde Champeyrache, director of the security and defence division of the national conservatory of arts and crafts.
“ Cocaine has made a real breakthrough in recent years. While in 2000, 1.81% of French people reported having used cocaine at least once in their lives, that figure has now risen to 9.41%.“How can we explain this change in usage, particularly among young adults?” declared Perrine Roux, Inserm research director in public health at Aix-Marseille University, at a press conference.
Consumption is spreading across diverse environments.
A collective expertiseThe study, conducted by Inserm and commissioned by the Ministry of Health and the Interministerial Mission for the Fight against Drugs and Addictive Behaviors (Mildeca), focused on providing an overview of the issue, the results of which were presented on January 22, 2026.
Due to its psychotropic effects, which induce heightened emotions, hyperactivity, and a feeling of euphoria, cocaine is frequently used in party settings. However, it is also prevalent in certain stressful professional environments, such as restaurants or artistic settings.
Meanwhile, crack cocaine, to which ammonia or baking soda is added, initially concentrated among highly impoverished populations, is now affecting integrated groups. This data, collected from addiction treatment, support, and prevention centers (CSAPA), highlights its widespread presence in French society, regardless of social background.
Closer to the consumer, more accessible
Mechanisms, worthy of "marketing strategies," facilitated thesupply and the distribution of cocaine in all its forms. Online sales, via apps and messaging services, home or workplace deliveries, as well as promotional and personalized offers, make it possible to reach new categories of people in terms of social class and location., list Clotilde Champeyrache. Extended to the whole territory, particularly in rural areas, these digital devices trivialize the act of purchasing.
This trend is also supported by the increase in processing laboratories, located closer to the consumer.
Trends in the use of major illicit drugs other than cannabis over the past 12 months, between 1992 and 2023, among 18-64 year olds (in %). Credits: Spilka et al., 2024.
Cocaine: worrying health consequences
Is it then possible to distinguish between recreational use and regular and addictive use? According to the WHO, 101% of people who use cocaine develop substance use disorders, meaning that they prioritize consumption, and this repeated use, over several months, leads to an inability to fulfill major obligations.
However, a significant problem arises: the close relationship between substance use disorders and neurocognitive and mental health problems. Indeed, post-traumatic stress disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been shown to be risk factors for substance use disorders. Conversely, cocaine use commonly worsens the symptoms of psychiatric disorders and can even trigger new ones (panic attacks, psychotic and anxiety-depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances).
The expert report published by Inserm, however, points to a lack of representation of women in these studies. While less likely to use cocaine (5.5% of women reported having tried it at least once, compared to 13.4% of men in 2023), they nevertheless present with more substance use disorders upon hospital admission. This phenomenon could be explained, according to specialists, by " physiological causes linked to biological sex, but also social determinants such as access to healthcare..
“ The individual cannot be separated from their consumption context.
Finally, the health consequences The effects of cocaine – on mental health but also on cardiovascular, ENT and infectious health – increase with the number and regularity of doses.
Currently, some molecules being evaluated in clinical trials appear to limit the effects of addiction, but no pharmacological treatment has yet been granted marketing authorization. There is no miracle withdrawal medication., analyzes Hélène Donnadieu, physician and professor of addiction studies at the University of Montpellier. And I think there never will be any because it's a problem that needs to be addressed at a societal level.. The individual cannot be separated from their consumption context.. »
More specifically, cocaine addiction is neurobiological but above all psychological, since it is associated with positive feelings and specific situations.
Repression, intervention, awareness-raising
Therefore, what levers can be used to combat this growing phenomenon? If there's one lever that doesn't work, it's the repression of users."That's the point," asserts Yasser Khazaal, a psychiatrist and professor of addiction psychiatry at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland). On the one hand, it's ineffective; demand continues to rise. On the other hand, it's unfair, because only those consuming in public spaces are penalized. Even economically, it's not very relevant, since the collection rate for fixed fines is 401%..
According to the experts consulted on this project, four areas should be targeted:
- Focus law enforcement efforts on actors in criminal networks and trafficking,
- Reducing health risks and improving medical care through supervised consumption spaces (Addiction Treatment Centers)
- Tailoring prevention campaigns to different environments, particularly online, to reach more socially integrated audiences,
- Expand housing and integration programs for vulnerable populations (Housing first, Alternative work paid by the day).
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