A by-the-numbers look at Oklahoma's surge in reported cocaine use, overdose deaths

New research data showing the impact of cocaine across Oklahoma is being released by state law enforcement.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics says this statistical analysis comes as agency cocaine investigations have risen sharply in recent years.

OBN says the dramatic rise in investigations involving cocaine and cocaine use has left a lasting impact from urban to rural areas.

392

The amount, in pounds, of cocaine taken off Oklahoma streets in 2024, according to OBN.

Just shy of 178 kilograms, OBN says the amount is a nearly 2,000% increase from the amount recovered by OBN investigators in 2016: 19 pounds.

140

The number of Oklahomans who have died due to a cocaine overdose. The number of reported deaths nearly tripled from 47 reported deaths in 2018.

OBN Director Donnie Anderson says criminal organizations often adulterate cocaine with fentanyl, which has contributed to this rise in cocaine overdoses.

497

How many cocaine seizures were submitted to OBN by Oklahoma law enforcement in 2024, up from 393 in 2022.

1,500

The number of Oklahomans admitted to seek treatment for cocaine use in 2023. Less than a decade earlier, in 2015, the number was only 315.

“Rural communities throughout Oklahoma have been feeling the impact," Anderson said. "We are working to dismantle [Drug Trafficking Organizations] moving significant quantities of cocaine into remote areas from southeastern Oklahoma to the Oklahoma panhandle.”

2,000

The amount of cocaine, in tons, that was produced worldwide in 2020, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

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OBN says more information about cocaine trends and other Oklahoma drug patterns can be found in OBN’s recently released Drug Threat Assessment.