Drug-related deaths “highest since records began” – “Avoidable” say the Forward Trust 

There were 4,907 deaths related to drug poisoning registered in 2022, which is the highest number since records began in 1993 and 1.0% higher than in 2021.  

The ONS said the overall rising trend over the past decade has been driven primarily by deaths involving opiates, but also those involving other substances such as cocaine. 

And men were more likely to die of drug poisoning with 3,240 deaths registered in 2022, compared with 1,667 deaths in women. 

Rates of drug misuse deaths continue to be elevated among those born in the 1970s, often referred to as “Generation X”, with the highest rate in those aged 40 to 49 years. 

Mike Trace, CEO of the Forward Trust, said that this is the tenth consecutive year that we’ve seen an increase in the number of drug related deaths in England and Wales.  

“This is a tragedy for every single person who has lost their life and for their loved ones.  

“Addiction is a serious mental illness that has a devastating impact on people’s lives. This must be recognised at all levels of government and society, and serious action taken to reduce the level of avoidable deaths.  

“Most deaths are what we call deaths of despair – people who are lonely, they’re using drugs in situations where they don’t have support or other people to protect them.  

“Perceptions of addiction need to change. We need to build compassion and understanding around addiction and support people to ask for help without judgement, discrimination or stigma.  

Forward Trust welcomes the government target, as part of their 10-year drugs strategy for England to have “prevented nearly 1,000 deaths, reversing the upward trend in drug deaths for the first time in a decade” by the end of 2024 to 2025. 

Mike continued; “Progress has been encouraging since the drug strategy was published, and more people are receiving some level of treatment.  

“However, an 11% increase in deaths of people in treatment, is a devastating statistic. 

“Whilst the pressures on the system are immense, every addiction related death should be viewed as avoidable.  

“The publication of these statistics come at a time when we are seeing more dangerous drugs entering supply chains and increased levels of addiction post pandemic, this catastrophic public health crisis is not making the headlines it should be.”