Drug-related deaths rise prompts call for action

Charities are calling for action after drug-related deaths in England and Wales rose for the eighth year in a row.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show there were 4,561 deaths related to drug poisoning in 2020 and remain at their highest level in more than a quarter of a century.

This is the highest number since records began in 1993, and up 3.8% from the previous year. The figures show there were 36 deaths in the Sunderlandarealastyear–downfrom 42 in 2019.

Support groups say the rise constitutes a public health emergency and called for the Government to "wake up" following years of cuts to addiction services.

Due to death registration delays, around half of the deaths will have occurred in the previous year and the majority before the coronavirus pandemic.

The figures follow a landmark review by Dame Carol Black, which set out 30 recommendations to Government to help overcome drug harm and called for significant investment in the treatment.

Eytan Alexander, chief executive of the UK Addiction Treatment Group, said the rise is "saddening but unsurprising". He said: "We need to come together as a society and take real action to help vulnerable people before more people lose their lives."

Dr Emily Finch, vice-chair of the addictions faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: "The Government needs to wake up to the fact that cuts to services, disconnecting NHS mental health services from addiction services and shifting the focus away from harm reduction to abstinence-based recovery is fuelling the increase in drugrelated deaths."