How Drug Habits Differ in the U.S. and the UK

Pricy cocaine is a very sought-after drug in the United Kingdom according to how much of it was seized in the country last year. 30 percent of the total weight of drugs confiscated while or after being smuggled into the country was cocaine in the fiscal year of 2018/19. In the U.S., amphetamines (methamphetamines in this case) took up a much bigger share of drugs confiscated by Customs and Border Protection, even though large amounts of the drug are also produced within the country. 11 percent of the total weight of confiscated drugs in the U.S. was meth, while 13 percent was cocaine.

In the UK on the other hand, meth use hasn’t quite caught on, as only 2 percent of drugs seized were amphetamines. In the UK statistics, meth is not listed as a separate entity as the statistic mentions only amphetamines in general. According to drug use statistics in the country, the larger part of those amphetamines would likely be party drugs like speed, making meth use even more scarce.

Cannabis was the most common drug to be seized in both countries, making up 74 percent of drugs confiscated in the U.S. and 65 percent of those confiscated in the UK.