Drug-related deaths are on the increase in England and Wales, with nearly half of all fatalities involving an opiate, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The latest data, published yesterday, revealed 5,448 deaths related to drug poisoning, equating to 93 deaths per million people, were recorded in 2023. That was higher than the 4,907 deaths recorded in 2022 at a rate of 84.4 deaths per million people.

In England, 5,053 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in 2023 compared with 4,572 deaths in 2022. In Wales, the number of deaths increased from 318 in 2022 to 377 last year.

In 2023, 46.8 per cent or 2,551 deaths involved an opiate while 1,118 deaths involved cocaine, a 30.5 per cent rise on 2022 and the 12th consecutive year it has increased.

The highest rate of drug-poisoning deaths was amongst 40 to 49-year-olds and 127.6 male deaths per million compared with 59.8 female deaths per million were recorded last year.

The average age-at-death for males has increased steadily over the last 30 years, going from 35.2 in 1993 to 44.5 in 2023. The average age of females has gone from 50.1 to 47.5 over that 30-year period but risen steadily during the intervening years.

The North-East had the highest rates of deaths relating to drug poisoning and drug misuse at 174.3 and 108.5 per million people respectively. London had the lowest rate at 58.1 and 41 deaths respectively.