| Benzocaine | Local anaesthetic used in creams, ointments and suntan lotions. Also reportedly used as a fish anaesthetic. | Similar anaesthetic properties to cocaine. | 2 | 271 |
| Boric acid | Used as an insecticide and as an antiseptic in medicinal and cosmetic products. Also used for weatherproofing and fireproofing fabric and timber. | May enhance anaesthetic effects of cocaine but believed to be added because it looks like cocaine crystals. | 0 | 33 |
| Caffeine | Mild stimulant used extensively in medicines and the food and drink industry. | Being a stimulant, it has some of the properties of amphetamine and cocaine. | 53 | 48 |
| Creatine (usually as monohydrate) | Naturally occurring compound found in the body. Used as a supplement by bodybuilders and freely available in health shops and gyms. | May simply be seen as easily accessible, with the right appearance. | 0 | 46 |
| Diltiazem (probably as hydrochloride salt) | Used in treatment of various heart conditions, including angina and high blood pressure. | Reason for addition not fully understood, but amounts generally believed to be small. | 28 | 52 |
| Dimethylterephthalate | Chemical used to make plastic films and sheets. | Present at low levels and previously thought by some to have 'leeched' out of packaging materials. Now thought to added deliberately but for what reason is not known. | 11 | 2 |
| Hydroxyzine (probably in dihydrochloride salt form) | Antihistamine that has also been used as a tranquiliser in veterinary medicine. | Reason for addition not fully understood. | 42 | 9 |
| Lignocaine, also known as lidocaine (probably as hydrochloride salt) | Local anaesthetic used mostly for surgery. Also used under medical supervision for the treatment of some heart disorders. | Looks like cocaine and has similar anaesthetic properties. Recently seen in some heroin samples, possibly because the same people are also supplying cocaine. | 18 | 78 |
| Mannitol (mannose) | Naturally occurring compound. Used in medicine as a diuretic and aid for testing kidneys. Used in the food industry as a free-flow agent, flavour enhancer and sweetener. | Originally associated with cocaine because its anti-caking properties helped to keep the drug as a powder. Now more likely to be seen in heroin, although the reason why is not clear. | 3 | 13 |
| Paracetamol | Painkiller, widely used. | Found occasionally in cocaine, but principally in heroin samples. | 3 | 8 |
| Phenacetin | Painkiller chemically related to paracetamol. No longer used in the UK because of its suspected cancer-causing properties. | Looks like cocaine. Recently seen in some heroin samples, possibly because the same people are also supplying cocaine. | 58 | 105 |
| Procaine (probably as hydrochloride salt) | Local anesthetic used in creams, ointments and suntan lotions. | Similar anaesthetic properties to cocaine. Less common now than it was a few years ago. | 22 | 14 |
| Sugars (lactose, glucose, dextrose) and related substances (sorbitol, inositol) | Widely used in medicines and the food and drink industry. Lactose in particular is used as a filler for many tablets. | Readily available. | Lactose – 9
Glucose – 3 | Lactose – 27
Glucose – 11
Inositol – 3
Sorbitol – 1 |
| Tetramisole hydrochloride | Used to treat worms and parasitic infestations in animals. Has had trials for the treatment of certain cancers. | Reason for addition not fully understood. Seems to be present in relatively small quantities. | 94 | 133 |
| Other adulterants | N/A | N/A | Sodium bicarbonate – 15
Sodium chloride – 10
Benzoic Acid – 1 | Potassium hydrogen tartrate – 6
Sodium chloride – 5 |
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