Cocaine dealers triple prices as supply runs out due to lockdown - amid fears thousands of 'high-functioning' addicts will be plunged into debt because 'every day is now the weekend'

Cocaine dealers have tripled the price of their product since lockdown started in the UK, leaving many addicts desperate to kick the habit.

Support group Cocaine Anonymous warns that an epidemic of drug and alcohol abuse is just round the corner as lockdown turns every day into a weekend.

But many others want to kick their expensive habits, and as Covid-19 began to spread Cocaine Anonymous moved their meetings into cyberspace. 

Clare K, a member of Cocaine anonymous, who has been sober for a few years, said: 'There are tens of thousands of addicts out there and now with people working from home and being furloughed, every day is a weekend for them.

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'Some people are excessively abusing alcohol and drugs in their homes and quickly crossing the line and becoming hooked'. 

They continued: 'When Covid-19 came along, the coke dealers tripled their prices, as it is supply and demand in the world of drugs and this lockdown means they don't have the same ability to import, or rather smuggle their products into the UK.

'My fear is, that this could be a fresh epidemic that could follow on from the Coronavirus pandemic, this lockdown has pushed some high-functioning addicts, who have their drinking and drug-taking semi in-check when they have to go to work, into a dangerous place with their habits spiralling out of control. 

'But now more than ever before people are isolated and in a huge amount of fear as they don't know if they will stay healthy, or if their wages will get paid.

'People are starting to panic because they think they have a problem with alcohol or drugs, and they don't really know where to turn.      

'With our meetings going online there are more opportunities to speak to someone and virtually meet up every day. 

There are thousands of C.A. meetings around the world offering support, so you can literally go to meetings all over the world from your front room.'  

Just like Clare K, Steven B has been attending CA meetings in-person for less than a year before social distancing was introduced.

Steven said: 'It's been phenomenal having the ability to connect from my home. 

'Never have I felt more connected to a group of people in my life... I now have a place to connect with those recovering from addiction'.

CA's all-inclusive 12 Step recovery program has assisted individuals in finding a new way of life since its formation in 1982.

Meetings going online is a big change - but it's working thanks to amazing recovering members, who have all been through the program and now help each other, and especially the newcomers coming into the program.