Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales: 2024 registrations: NHS APA Statement
- Sarah Todd
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
The latest drug-related deaths statistics for England and Wales show – once again – a concerning rise in overall mortality and regional disparities in harms. A record 5,565 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in 2024—the highest annual total since records began in 1993. Mortality rates have been climbing every year since 2012.
As in previous years, opioids are responsible for a considerable and rising share of fatalities, emphasising the need for urgent targeted interventions. Harm also continues to be concentrated in the cohort of male individuals born in the 1970s, with the highest rates of deaths occurring for those aged 40-49. There are also regional disparities in mortality, with the North East of England experiencing the highest rates in the country.
We are particularly concerned to see more recent trends continue an upward trajectory, with cocaine-related mortality significantly up and the presence of potent synthetic opioid variants like nitazenes appearing more prominently in the statistics.
Danny Hames, Chair of the NHS Addictions Provider Alliance, responded to the latest figures:
“These statistics are not just numbers – they are real lives lost, friends and family members bereaved, communities broken. The only conclusion one can reach looking at these figures is that they represent a national failure to adequately get to grips with the complexity of addiction. All too often, we remain focussed on the drugs, and miss the person in the process – their story, their identity, their trauma.
It is now over four years since the publication of Dame Carol Black’s Review of Drugs, and three years since the publication of the last government Drug Strategy. We have seen some increase into funding for drug and alcohol services over that time and record numbers of people are now in treatment. This is some good news as we know that treatment saves lives.
But this progress is overshadowed by the stark reminder of these statistics, which must be a wake-up call to the current government that there is much more to do if it is serious about bringing about the whole-system transformation called for by Dame Carol Black.
Increasing the distribution of naloxone and supporting harm reduction initiatives are obvious and absolutely vital parts of the needed response, alongside earlier interventions for physical and mental health. But we must go further by making sure our overall treatment and support offer is fit-for-purpose with a skilled and experienced workforce deploying evidence-based interventions, and effective co-ordination of care across the health, criminal justice, housing and employment landscape. This will not happen without sufficient investment, cross-government strategic focus, and a raising of the national consciousness about what must be considered a public health crisis.”
The NHS APA extends their heartfelt sympathy and condolences to all those affected by drug-related deaths in 2024 and previous years and is committed to ending the widespread stigma against people with addiction. You can learn more about our national #StigmaKills campaign here.