There has been a huge rise in the number of UK drug users using the dark internet to buy illegal substances, a new survey has revealed.

The Global Drug Survey, of which The Independent is a partner, found more users are buying their drugs on the dark net in the UK than almost anywhere else in the world.

The mass of hidden web pages allows users to connect with online drug dealers while hiding their computer IP addresses to avoid being traced.

Purchases are made using the virtual currency Bitcoin, which allows customers and sellers to remain anonymous.

Only Finland (41.4 per cent) and Norway (27.2 per cent) have a higher proportion of drug users purchasing their narcotics using the medium.

In the last year alone in the UK, the proportion has increased from 18.3 per cent to 25.3 per cent of users. It has now more than doubled since 2014.

Drug users in other English-speaking nations are far less likely to use the dark net to buy drugs. Only 13.2 per cent of US respondents said they obtained drugs via the dark net, while for Australia the figure is just 7.1 per cent.

The most common drug purchased via the dark net in the England was MDMA, followed by cannabis, “new psychoactive substances” (NPS's) such as Spice and Clockwork Orange, and LSD.

Well over half (58 per cent) of English drug users who had used the dark net for purchases had bought MDMA, while 45 per cent bought cannabis.

Younger drug users and those without a job or a university degree, were statistically more likely to use secret online websites to buy their drugs.

World's 10 deadliest street drugs Show all 10 1 /10 World's 10 deadliest street drugs World's 10 deadliest street drugs Whoonga Whoonga is a combination of antiretroviral drugs, used to treat HIV, and various cutting agents such as detergents and poisons. The drug is widely available in South Africa due to South Africa’s high rate of HIV sufferers, and is believed to be popular due to how cheap it is when compared to prescribed antiretrovirals. The drug is highly addictive and can cause major health issues such as internal bleeding, stomach ulcers and ultimately death Getty World's 10 deadliest street drugs Scopolamine Scopolamine is a derivative from the nightshade plant found in the Northern Indian region of South America (Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela). It is generally found in a refined powder form, but can also be found as a tea. The drug is more often used by criminals due its high toxicity level (one gram is believed to be able to kill up to 20 people) making it a strong poison. However, it is also believed that the drug is blown into the faces of unexpecting victims, later causing them to lose all sense of self-control and becoming incapable of forming memories during the time they are under the influence of the drug. This tactic has reportedly been used by gangs in Colombia where there have been reports of people using scopolamine as way to convince victims to rob their own homes World's 10 deadliest street drugs Heroin Founded in 1874 by C. R. Alder Wright, heroin is one of the world’s oldest drugs. Originally it was prescribed as a strong painkiller used to treat chronic pain and physical trauma. However in 1971 it was made illegal under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Since then it has become one of the most destructive substances in the world, tearing apart communities and destroying families. The side effects of heroin include inflammation of the gums, cold sweats, a weak immune system, muscular weakness and insomnia. It can also damage blood vessels which can later cause gangrene if left untreated World's 10 deadliest street drugs Crack cocaine Crack cocaine first came about in the 1980’s when cocaine became a widespread commodity within the drug trafficking world. Originally cocaine would have attracted a high price tag due to its rarity and difficulty to produce, but once it became more widespread the price dropped significantly. This resulted in drug dealers forming their cocaine into rock like shapes by using baking soda as a way of distilling the powder down into rock form. People were doing this because it allowed for them to sell cocaine at a lower quantity and to a higher number of people. The side effects of crack cocaine include liver, kidney and lung damage, as well as permanent damage to blood vessels, which can often lead to heart attacks, strokes, and ultimately death World's 10 deadliest street drugs Crystal meth Not just famous because of a certain Walter H White, but also because it is one of the most destructive drugs in the world. First developed in 1887, it became widely used during the Second World War when both sides would give it to their troops to keep them awake. It is also believed that the Japanese gave it to their Kamikaze pilots before their suicide missions. After the war crystal meth was prescribed as a diet aid and remained legal until the 1970s. Since then it has fallen into the hands of Mexican gangs and has become a worldwide phenomenon, spreading throughout Europe and Asia. The effects of crystal meth are devastating. In the short-term users will become sleep depraved and anxious, and in the long-term it will cause their flesh to sink, as well as brain damage and damage of the blood vessels World's 10 deadliest street drugs AH-7921 AH-7921 is a synthetic opioid that was previously available to legally purchase online from vendors until it became a Class A in January 2015. The drug is believed to have 80% of the potency of morphine, and became known as the ‘legal heroin’. While there has only been one death related to AH-7921 in the UK, it is believed to be highly dangerous and capable of causing respiratory arrest and gangrene World's 10 deadliest street drugs Flakka Flakka is a stimulant with a similar chemical make-up to the amphetamine-like drug found in bath salts. While the drug was originally marketed as a legal high alternative to ecstasy, the effects are significantly different. The user will feel an elevated heart rate, enhanced emotions, and, if enough is digested, strong hallucinations. 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The side effects include unusual psychiatric behaviour, psychosis, panic attacks and violent behaviour, as well as the possibility of a heart attack and an elevated body temperature World's 10 deadliest street drugs Purple Drank One of the more unusual drugs around at the moment, purple drank was popularised in 90s hip hop culture, with the likes of Jay Z and Big Moe all mentioning it in their songs. It is a concoction of soda water, sweets and cold medicine, and is drunk due to cold medicines high codeine content, which gives the user a woozy feeling. However it can also cause respiratory issues and heart failure World's 10 deadliest street drugs Krokodil Krokodil is Russia’s secret addiction. It is believed that over one million Russians are addicted to the drug. Users of krokodil are attracted to the drug due to its low price; it is sold at £20 a gram while heroin is sold for £60. 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Dr Adam Winstock, founder of the Global Drug Survey and a consultant addiction psychiatrist, told The Independent: “The dark net represents a natural extension of online shopping that is part of so many of our lives. The dark net offers diversity of product range, ease of access and reduced exposure to interpersonal violence.

“Although quality varies, drugs on the dark net tend to be of a more consistent quality. As our data shows, however, better quality drugs are not always safer for people. There is always the risk that some users who find themselves with easier access to better drugs may be more likely to develop dependence.

“Ultimately the dark net as a source will only grow. It challenges drug law enforcement and we should no explore how to harness the dark net as a portal for promoting safer drug use as a way of offsetting potential harms.”

Jamie Bartlett, author of "The Dark Net" and director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at thinktank Demos said there were obvious reasons why the dark net was so attractive to drug users.

"The quality and range of products is so much better online", he said. "It's a competitive market like Amazon or eBay so product quality is much better than it is offline and you can buy all sorts of boutique drugs and niche types of MDMA that you could never get offline.

"If you know what you're doing and you're a sensible user, it's probably safer because you're not hanging around on street corners and your drugs aren't going to be cut with other things. But if you don't know what you're doing or you're inexperienced, it can be quite dangerous to get hold of all these drugs, especially if you're 15 or 16 and hear that you can get cocaine and MDMA online. You've suddenly got access to the kind of things you never would have done before.

"We're talking about 15-year-olds getting hold of LSD and things like that, which is a complete disaster."

More and more drug users are likely to turn to the dark net for their needs as choice and quality increases, Mr Bartlett said, adding that it is difficult for police to address the problem because of the international nature of the trade and the anonymity the dark net offers.

"What needs to happen is international co-ordination between different police forces, and more money being spent online to try to clamp down on the sites and try to manage their growth and undermine confidence in them", he said. "But in the end, they really can't stop the flow because it's just too much.

"The police have finally started realising that they need to put more resources into figuring out what's going on on the dark net and getting on top of it."