Drugs, death and deprivation
More people are being killed by drugs - and it’s the poorest who are most affected
THE poorest people in the country are far more likely to die from drug poisoning than the most affluent.
New figures reveal people in the most deprived 10% of areas in England are nearly eight times more likely to die from a drug overdose than those in the least deprived 10%.
Figures for Wales are collected differently, but show that those in the most deprived 20% of the country are around five times more likely to be killed by drugs than in the least deprived 20%.
Dr Rachel Britton, Director of Pharmacy at drug, alcohol and mental health charity Addaction, said: “The levels of drug-related deaths in England and Wales are hugely concerning.
“When we work alongside people to address their drug use, we often see how childhood trauma continues to affect them.
“Early trauma could encompass a number of experiences from physical or sexual abuse to witnessing domestic violence, to emotional neglect.
“People who grow up in deprived environments are much more likely to endure these kinds of experiences, while studies show people who experience early trauma are twice as likely to develop a mental health condition.
“Add in the stresses that come with having a low income - such as homelesness or poor physical health and drugs like heroin which help numb deep seated emotions become much more appealing.
“However, there are lots of innovative ideas on how to address this issue. In Redcar Addaction are running a project where people with experience of drug misuse train others in how to carry and use naloxone, a life saving drug which reverses an opioid overdose.
“Elsewhere there are heroin-assisted treatment pilots running in Middlesbrough and Glasgow and campaigners are pushing for safe consumption rooms.
“Local authorities across the country must prioritise this kind of proactive, innovative work through investing in services that are willing to be bold and try new approaches.”
The figures, released by the Office for National Statistics, show that deaths from drug poisoning have soared over the last few years.
In England, 3,983 people died from a drug overdose in 2018 - up from 3,482 deaths the year before, and the highest number seen since at least 2001, when the figures begin. Meanwhile, 858 people died from drug poisoning in Wales between 2016 and 2018. That’s up from 769 deaths in the previous three-year period, and is again the highest number seen since between 2001 and 2003.
Of the deaths seen in England in 2018, 974 were in the most deprived 10% areas of the country, while just 128 were from the least deprived 10%.
It means there were 18.9 deaths for every 100,000 people in the poorest areas, compared to just 2.5 deaths for every 100,000 in the most affluent. In Wales, the most deprived 20% areas of the country accounted for 331 of the total number of deaths, compared to 74 from the least deprived 20%. That works out as 19.3 deaths for every 100,000 people in the most deprived areas, compared to 4.1 deaths for every 100,000 in the least deprived.
In both countries, men are more likely to die from a drug overdose than women, across all levels of deprivation.