ONS 2016 Drug Deaths Figures Showing Substantial Rise

The latest data on deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales for 2016 has been published today. 

Over half (54%) of all deaths related to drug poisoning in 2016 involved an opiate (mainly heroin and / or morphine), while people aged 40 to 49 had the highest rate of drug misuse deaths. 

Drug use and drug dependence are known causes of premature mortality, with drug poisoning accounting for 16% of deaths among people in their 20s and 30s in 2016. Drug-related deaths occur in a variety of circumstances, each with different social and policy implications. Consequently, there is considerable political, media and public interest in these figures.

Figures are presented for deaths related to drug poisoning (involving both legal and illegal drugs) and drug misuse (involving controlled drugs) in England and Wales from 1993 onwards. The definition of a drug poisoning death is based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code assigned as the underlying cause of death. A list of the ICD codes included in the definition can be found in the Quality and Methodology Information (QMI) report.

For both males and females, the greatest proportion of drug misuse deaths registered in 2016 were from accidental poisonings, with 1,561 male deaths and 501 female deaths (82% and 72% of all drug misuse deaths respectively). In females, accidental poisonings due to drug misuse increased between 2015 and 2016 from 428 deaths to 501 deaths, whereas in males accidental poisoning deaths remained stable in 2016.

Deaths from mental and behavioural disorders due to drug use only account for about 5% to 6% of drug misuse deaths and this has remained stable since 2012. These deaths are essentially deaths from drug dependence or abuse, but they may involve an acute overdose of drugs similar to an accidental poisoning (see the Quality and Methodology Information report for further information on the coding of drug misuse deaths).

• There were 3,744 drug poisoning deaths involving both legal and illegal drugs in England and Wales registered in 2016; this is 70 higher than 2015 (an increase of 2%) and the highest number since comparable statistics began in 1993.
• Of these 3,744 deaths, 69% (2,593) were drug misuse deaths.
• There has been an increase in the rate of deaths related to drug misuse in Wales from 58.3 deaths per 1 million population in 2015 to 66.9 per 1 million in 2016; deaths in England have remained comparable between 2015 and 2016.
• People aged 40 to 49 years had the highest rate of drug misuse deaths in 2016, overtaking those aged 30 to 39 years.
• Over half (54%) of all deaths related to drug poisoning in 2016 involved an opiate (mainly heroin and/or morphine).
• The highest mortality rate from drug misuse was in the North East with 77.4 deaths per 1 million population, a 13% increase from 2015; the lowest rate (29.1 deaths per 1 million population) was in the East Midlands, which remained stable.