By Robert Common, Managing Partner, The Beekeeper
The COVID-19 pandemic brought big changes to substance use patterns in Britain showing how people dealt with isolation and stress . When lockdowns shut down pubs and social spaces, many turned to using substances at home as a way to cope.
The connection between the pandemic and mental health created unique problems for addiction services across Britain. Healthcare workers noticed major differences in the substances people used and in how they looked for help. These changes have had a lasting influence that still shapes substance use in Britain in 2025.
This detailed look focuses on how the pandemic caused shifts in substance use patterns throughout Britain, starting with the early days of lockdown and continuing into the post-pandemic period. It will cover the major shifts in how people consumed substances, the changes in treatment methods, and the long-term pressure on public health systems.
Substance Use in Britain Before the Pandemic
Substance use in Britain before the pandemic highlighted a mix of major public health issues. The illegal drug market alone had a value close to £10 billion every year and included around 3 million users nationwide.
Most used substances and their trends
Cannabis stood out as the most used drug, with 7.8% of adults aged 16 to 59 reporting use. Powder cocaine ranked second in popularity used by 2.6% of people in this age group. Alcohol use displayed worrying trends, with around 586,780 people across England dependent on it. However 18% of them got the help they needed through treatment.
The treatment system divided adults seeking help into four main groups. Opiate users made up the biggest portion accounting for 51% of those in treatment. Next, at 28%, were people looking to address alcohol-problems. Men made up most of the people getting treatment in all substance categories. That being said, the gender difference was much smaller when it came to alcohol-treatment. Here, men made up 58% and women accounted for 42%.
Differences across UK regions
Substance use patterns varied a lot between regions in the UK. People in northern England used more cannabis, ecstasy, and over-the-counter medicines than other areas. The South Brighton, became a key spot for cocaine and ketamine use. Merseyside reported the most drug offences reaching 9.2 cases for every 1,000 people. There was a clear connection between substance use and poverty, with the most deprived areas seeing five times more drug-related hospital visits than the wealthiest regions.
Treatment services before the pandemic
Before the pandemic, treating addiction already had big obstacles. Since 2013, drug and alcohol treatment funding in England dropped by 27% when adjusted for inflation. This cut had a serious effect on what services could provide, and it hit some areas harder than others like:
- Facilities to help with inpatient detox
- Centres offering residential rehab
- Programs helping young people
- Treatment options aimed at cannabis or stimulant users
The system couldn’t keep up with demand. About 82% of adults needing alcohol dependency treatment didn’t get any help, while 58% of people using opiates and 47% of crack cocaine users were also left without the care they required.
Staffing turned out to be a big issue. Addictions psychiatry training posts had dropped by 60% since 2006. The workforce shrank among skilled staff, which hurt both the quality of services and how easy they were to access. Local authorities tasked with setting up treatment services since 2012, struggled with fewer funds. For example, Birmingham City Council cut its budget for addiction treatment from £26 million to £19 million in 2015–16 slashing important services as a result.
Early Impact: Lockdowns and Drug Use (2020–2021)
The early months of the COVID-19 lockdown brought big changes to how people in Britain used substances. As the nation faced uncertainty clear trends appeared in the ways people got and used different substances.
Alcohol panic buying after restrictions began
In March 2020 when the lockdown was announced, alcohol sales in shops and supermarkets jumped by 22%. Sales in off-licences saw an even bigger rise of 31.4%, with purchases of beer, wine, and spirits reaching over £1.1 billion in just four weeks. But total alcohol consumption went down since 73% of alcohol sold in pubs and restaurants became unavailable.
Shifts in drug access and supply chains
The pandemic interrupted the flow of illegal drug supplies. Suppliers tried practicing social distancing, but access to drugs became harder. The percentage of users struggling to contact suppliers grew from 34% at the start of lockdown to 41% after rules loosened. Over 10% of drug buys moved to darknet platforms, with 13% of those using them for the first time. Cannabis still topped the list of drugs bought making up 70% of all purchases during the pandemic.
Increase in misuse of prescription medications
The pressure on medical systems pushed more people to rely on self-medication. Fear of catching infections, tough access to healthcare, and money problems caused this shift. People misused benzodiazepines the most among prescribed medicines, with codeine and tramadol being the next in line. Reports of benzodiazepines and fentanyl surged at this time.
Using self-medication to cope with anxiety and loneliness during the pandemic
Lockdowns affected mental health and led to shifts in how people used substances. Those who dealt with extreme COVID-19 anxiety had higher levels of dangerous drug and alcohol use. More than 50% of people surveyed said they turned to alcohol, drugs, or gambling to help them handle worsening mental health. Prescription drug misuse rose among young adults under 25, but people aged 25 to 35 reduced their misuse. Pharmacies blocked about 80% of prescription drug purchase attempts. Problems like withdrawal symptoms and sharing needles became more common, while support systems moved to telehealth and adjusted their operations.
How the NHS Handled These Combined Crises
The NHS adapted its addiction services to face both the pandemic and the rise in substance use.
Switching to telehealth for addiction care
Healthcare delivery underwent a big transformation with the move to remote care. Many professionals starting out had no training in telemedicine, but stable patients found virtual consultations easier to stick with. Group sessions gave a chance to connect with peers, but building relationships became harder with missing non-verbal cues and not enough computers to go around.
Adjustments in methadone and buprenorphine protocols
Guidelines for opioid treatment were updated to allow more flexibility. After personal assessments, patients picked either methadone or buprenorphine. Services introduced quicker prescribing and loosened supervision rules. Buprenorphine had a safer track record and did not cause more deaths, while relaxed rules with methadone led to more fatal overdoses.
Staffing struggles during COVID surges
Key services like supervised consumption and hepatitis screening stopped due to unfilled staff shortages. Many services did not prepare contingency plans and faced trouble reorganizing staff roles. Though new training programs and supervision efforts started, staff sickness peaked by April 2020 reaching its highest level in ten years due to mental health-related absences.
Recovery Phase: Trends After Lockdowns (2022–2023)
When restrictions ended, substance use patterns began to shift.
People went back to social drinking venues
When pubs and bars reopened, people had mixed feelings about it. Around 40% of adults said they planned to go out more often, and young adults showed even higher numbers. Still rising living costs in 2022 and 2023 reduced alcohol sales even with more opportunities to socialize.
Changing substance use trends
Cannabis remained the top reason young people sought treatment. More young people began using ketamine, which in some cases passed powder cocaine in treatment admissions. Mental health struggles became connected to substance use. Almost half of young people in treatment said they faced mental health challenges, with girls reporting these issues much more than boys.
The complications of Long COVID and pain control
Long COVID brought fresh obstacles with chronic pain. People dealt with issues like pain in specific areas, joint and nerve problems, and ongoing exhaustion. Those with chronic pain from before saw it get worse if they struggled with not sleeping during the pandemic. Overloaded resources and complicated cases left pain services harder to reach.
Snapshots of British Substance Use: 2025 Outlook
New statistics reveal important patterns shaping substance use in 2025.
Recent figures on alcohol and drug habits
Deaths tied to alcohol hit 8,274 in 2023. This marks a 63.8% jump since 2006 because of liver disease. About 2.9 million people between 16 and 59 admitted to drug use in the past year. Cannabis was the most used drug, with 6.8% saying they used it. Drug-related deaths reached 5,448 across England and Wales. Between April 2022 and March 2023 291,000 adults sought treatment to address issues with opiates and alcohol.
Shifts in how different groups use substances
Young adults aged 16 to 24 still used drugs the most, but older groups started showing higher numbers too. Men had more deaths tied to alcohol compared to women. Among youth seeking help, girls talked more about mental health struggles. The usual age of people getting treatment was 16.
Changes since pre-pandemic
Deaths and hospital visits due to alcohol have gone up across the UK. More people now get treated for ketamine than for cocaine. Abuse involving solvents and inhalants, like nitrous oxide, has also gone up. Schools and education services now send most young people for treatment. Mental health struggles are showing up more often than before.
Why More People in the UK Look for Treatment Abroad
The strain on UK addiction and mental health services pushes many to search for help outside the NHS. Long waiting lists and fewer resources make it hard to access full care so people are turning to treatment centres abroad to get quicker and better support.
The Beekeeper House has noticed more clients from the UK coming to us for residential care. Our centre, in the peaceful mountains near Chiang Mai Thailand, gives people a private and safe place to recover from daily stresses and triggers. We focus on treating both mental health and substance struggles using proven methods with a skilled team that cares about helping others.
Clients in the UK pick us because we offer tailored and personal programmes, in addition to deep therapeutic care. The cost of treatment in Thailand comes with great value too. Our peaceful setting, focus on holistic well-being, and commitment to lasting recovery appeal to those seeking more than a quick fix for their problems. We take pride in being a reliable global choice for people willing to make genuine strides toward recovery.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered Britain’s challenges with substance use. Alcohol-related deaths have reached record levels, and mental health struggles are tied to substance problems in younger people. While some social behaviors have gone back to how they were before the pandemic, at-home drug use and misuse of prescriptions have become a regular part of life for many.
The NHS moved fast by using digital tools and changing treatment methods, but issues still exist with staffing, access, and support for mental health. Cases involving ketamine now outnumber those for cocaine, and misuse of nitrous oxide keeps increasing.
As Britain faces new problems like chronic pain tied to long COVID, it needs to keep updating how it handles health care. Progress relies on better mental health services adaptable and easy-to-access treatments, and steady funding to tackle addiction.
