Cocaine ER Visits and Crimes Hit Record Highs in NRW, Germany
Cologne, Germany -- September 01, 2026 -- Hospital treatments for cocaine-related emergencies are climbing across North Rhine-Westphalia, while crimes tied to cocaine and crack have tripled over the past decade, according to a new data analysis published Monday by German radio station 1LIVE. The station's data journalists examined police crime statistics from the state's LKA and 12 district police authorities, alongside state health data on hospital admissions. The findings point to a drug once tied mainly to nightlife now turning up in everyday emergency rooms across the region's largest cities.