THE MIDDLE-AGED DRUG PROBLEM
THOSE IN THEIR FORTIES ARE FUELLING A RISE IN DRUG DEATHS
DRUG poisoning deaths have hit a record high in England and Wales - and they’re being fuelled by the middle-aged population.
The deaths include legal and illegal drugs, prescription drugs and overthe-counter medications.
The new figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal 4,359 such deaths were registered in 2018 - a record high.
Figures go back as far as 1993, when 2,178 drug poisoning deaths were registered.
The most common age range for people to die from drug poisoning has been trending upwards.
In 1993, those aged between 20 and 29 were the most likely to die from drug poisonings.
That remained the case until 1998 - when people aged between 30 and 39 became the most likely.
This was true until 2011, when it climbed again to the 40-49 age band.
It has remained the case ever since.
It means that around 31% of drug poisoning deaths in 2018 were of people aged between 40 and 49.
When looking specifically at 2018, 71 people under the age of 20 died from drug poisoning.
There were 509 deaths among those aged between 20 and 29 and 1,076 in the 30-39 age band.
Some 1,369 people were aged between 40 and 49, and there were 1,092 aged between 50 and 69. There were 242 people aged 70 and over killed by drug poisoning.
An ONS statement issued along with report said: “One possible explanation [to explain the rising age in deaths by drug poisonings] could be that this generation has a higher proportion of long-term heroin users with failing health and are therefore at greater risk of poisoning”.
More than half of the deaths in 2018 involved an opiate - and they were mentioned on 2,208 death certificates.
In April this year, the then Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that all opioid medicines are to carry addiction warnings.
At the time he said: "I have been incredibly concerned by the recent increase in people addicted to opioid drugs. "Painkillers were a major breakthrough in modern medicine and are hugely important to help people manage pain alongside their busy lives but they must be treated with caution.
"We know that too much of any painkiller can damage your health, and some opioids are highly addictive and can ruin lives like an illegal drug.
"Things are not as bad here as in America, but we must act now to protect people from the darker side to painkillers."