RESEARCH / VERSION 1.1 / 16 OCTOBER 2026
Wastewater trends at 16 English sites, 2021–26
The October release extends consumption trends, without a new national monetary valuation.
| Field | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Reference period | January–April sampling windows, 2021–2026 |
| Coverage | 16 consistently monitored English sites |
| Status | Context / method record |
| Source-check date | 2026-10-16 |
| Measure | Consumption trend / method update |
| Value | No new numerical estimate |
| Currency / price basis | No new monetary estimate |
| Publication date | 2026-10-14 |
| Reference period | January–April sampling windows, 2021–2026 |
| Substances covered | Cocaine Ketamine Heroin Amphetamine MDMA Methamphetamine |
| Method | Repeated-site wastewater analysis; seven-day composite samples in annual comparison windows. |
| Estimate family | wand-trend-panel-2021-26 |
| Relationship to other estimates | related trend evidence |
| Earlier estimate repeated / parent | No parent link asserted |
| Uncertainty | No statistical confidence interval supplied in this record. |
Interpretation limits
Sites were selected for continuity, not national representativeness. These consumption trends do not justify applying a spending adjustment to the national valuation.
Sources
- Home Office: Wastewater analysis — estimating drug consumption, 2021 to 2026 — Sections 1.3 and 2; Table 1 and footnotes
Cite this record
Civil Liberties Action (2026). The illegal drugs economy: Wastewater trends at 16 English sites, 2021–26. Record economy-wand-trends-2026, version 1.1, 2026-10-16. https://cla-political-finance.copperchime4.chatgpt.site/databases/releases/2026-10-16-v1.1/records/economy/economy-wand-trends-2026.html
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