Paul Townsley responds to drug-related deaths statistics

Each one of these statistics represents a life that’s been taken away — a child, sibling, parent or friend. Their deaths leave a deep and painful void for the friends, families and communities who grieve their loss, and as an organisation we offer them our deepest sympathies.

Drug-related deaths have increased every year since 2012. 2023 represents the deadliest year on record, with rates of deaths 11% higher than in 2022.

This loss is not felt evenly across our nation. The North East, Yorkshire, and the North West are disproportionately affected, highlighting the stark inequalities in our country. Deaths in the North East rose by 33% on the previous year.

As a society we can act now to save lives

The emergence of highly potent synthetic opioids such as nitazenes has only added complexity to our landscape – and should add urgency to our response. We already know what works to reduce harm and save lives:

• Expanding the rollout of naloxone, which can reverse opioid overdose
• Increasing drug testing capacity to allow people to check the safety of their drugs, reducing the likelihood of fatal overdose
• Developing harm reduction approaches in safer spaces for people to use drugs in, building on evidence from Scotland and overseas.

Supporting more people into treatment and recovery

Only by investing in local evidence-based systems of treatment and care can we hope to contribute to a reduction in deaths. We urge the government to:

• Implement fully the recommendations of Dame Carol Black’s Independent Review of Drugs
• Provide sustainable funding through a three year Public Health Grant, with local authority allocations confirmed as soon as possible to avoid a ‘cliff-edge’
• Restore the Public Health Grant to the real-terms equivalent of 2015/16 levels, in line with the recommendations of the Association of Directors of Public Health.

Tackling root causes

It is quite clear that drug related deaths are ultimately driven by the appalling inequalities in our society.  The government must tackle the root causes by:

• Delivering on its manifesto commitment to tackle the social determinants of health, and halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions in England
• Implementing the recommendations from Sir Michael Marmot’s landmark reviews on health inequalities, including the ‘Marmot Eight’ Principles, which emphasise fair opportunities, reducing income inequality, and promoting healthier environments
• Centring health equity and well-being in local, regional, and national planning and strategy, ensuring that decision-making prioritises health, particularly for people living in our most deprived areas.

Paul Townsley, CEO