Cocaine use has an impact significant » on the health of the French and on hospitals, where associated emergency room visits have seen a marked recovery "by 2025, to exceed 6,500, according to a report published Monday, June 8, 2026, by Public Health France." With 6,529 visits (to the emergency room, editor's note) related to cocaine use and 2,096 hospitalizations following visits in 2025, the impact of cocaine use on the health of the French population and on hospital care services is significant.", notes the health agency, which relies on a data transmission system for summaries of emergency room visits called OSSOUR ®This device is part of the missions Public Health France's health monitoring and alert system.
"Marked recovery"
This represents, on average, 125 visits to the emergency room per week, notes Public Health France. Between 2012 and 2022Emergency room visits related to cocaine use have almost always been on the rise (except for a stabilization in 2019), and the increase was even more pronounced in 2023. After stabilizing in 2024, the health agency points out, 2025 saw " a marked recovery", with a rate of 34.7 visits related to cocaine per 100,000 visits for all causes, representing a jump of 261 over one year. Also on the rise, the rate of post-emergency hospitalizations reached 55.1 per 100,000 (+221 compared to 2024)."
Regional disparities
Cocaine, second most consumed illicit substance in the world After cannabis, it is classified as a drug in France, along with... MDMA/Ecstasy, the consumption of which among adults has increased significantly over the last ten years. Regarding the impact on emergency services, there are also " marked regional disparities", with very high crossing rates in Brittany (61.4 per 100,000), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (55.9/100,000) and French Guiana (52/100,000) in 2025.
By 2025, the recovery will affect all age groups.
Of the 39,383 emergency room visits related to cocaine between 2012 and 2025, 731 involved men (711 in 2025), and the median age was 32 (33 in 2025), corresponding to the typical profiles of the most frequent users of this drug in the population. In 2025, the renewed increase affected all age groups except those 60 and over, and both men and women.
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Heart attack, stroke, thrombosis, psychiatric disorders
In addition to addiction, cocaine use can have acute medical consequences, primarily cardiovascular (myocardial infarction, stroke, thrombosis) and psychiatric (depression, panic attacks, paranoia), according to Public Health France. Furthermore, emergency room visits related to cocaine are frequently associated with the use of other substances, especially alcohol, which increases the health risks.
The device Drugs Info Service (telephone, chat, website) allows information and assistance to be provided to consumers, recalls Public Health France.
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