Deaths From Drug Overdose Hit Record Number In England, Wales - Reports

Faizan Hashmi Published August 03, 2021 | 08:15 PM

Deaths from drug poisoning in England and Wales have been on the rise for eight consecutive years and reached a record number of 4,561 people in 2020, accounting for 79.5 deaths per million people, The Guardian reported on Tuesday, citing statistical data from charities

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2021) Deaths from drug poisoning in England and Wales have been on the rise for eight consecutive years and reached a record number of 4,561 people in 2020, accounting for 79.5 deaths per million people, The Guardian reported on Tuesday, citing statistical data from charities.

The 2020 figure is 60.9% higher than in 2010 and the highest since 1993, according to the report. Approximately half of all 2020 deaths from overdosing were linked to an opiate, including pain relief medications, and 777 deaths to cocaine, which is five times more than in 2010.

Eytan Alexander, a recovering drug addict and chief executive of UK Addiction Treatment Centres, was quoted as saying that the cocaine aspect was not surprising given that "[the drug] is so readily available and as easy to order as a Deliveroo."

More than 60% of drug deaths were linked to drug misuse, equaling 52.3 cases of death per million. Men reportedly accounted for more than two-thirds of deaths, but the rate of cocaine-related deaths among women has grown over 800% since 2010, from 16 to 158 deaths per year.