Drug deaths have soared - image posed by a model (Image: PA)

       Britain is losing the war on drugs with the number of tragic deaths far higher than in other developed countries. The UK has become “the sick person of the wealthy world” according to a new study from think tank the Health Foundation. Researchers warned that drug deaths have soared while other nations have succeeded in getting their figures down.

       Some regions and age groups are hit harder than others, with the North East of England and Scotland having the highest mortality rates while many of those dying in the UK from the use of opiates or cocaine were born in the 1970s, making them part of so-called Generation X. Falling living standards in parts of the country may be to blame, the report suggested.

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       Dame Jennifer Dixon, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, said: “The soaring drug-related deaths in Scotland and the North East are not just tragic – they are symptoms of long-standing neglect, economic stagnation and policy failure.

       “It’s clear that sticking plasters won’t cut it. We need a bold, long-term health strategy that tackles prevention, inequality, and underinvestment in public health head-on. And in particular far more urgent and targeted action on drugs.”

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       The most recent figures show there were 5,548 deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales in 2023, up from 4,907 the year previously and a big leap from the figure of 2,955 in 2013.

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       Just under half involved an opiate such as heroin while the second biggest killer was cocaine, involved in a fifth of drug deaths.

       The death rate in the UK is much higher than in other wealthy countries such as those in western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the US. Health Foundation researchers found there were nearly 26 drug-related deaths per 100,000 British men aged 25 to 49 in one year, compared to eight deaths per 100,000 in other similar nations. For women aged 25 to 49 the figure was 10 deaths per 100,000 in the UK, and just three per 100,000 elsewhere.

       Official figures show the age group most likely to die from drug use is people aged 40 to 49 year. So-called “Generation X”, born between the late 1960s and early 1980s, have consistently had the highest rates of drug misuse deaths for the past 25 years.

       Researchers said the UK also had more so-called “deaths of despair” than other countries, including deaths by suicide and related to alcohol use.

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       Professor David Leon, who led research for the report at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “Our analysis highlights that mortality rates in almost all parts of the UK, with the exception of London, have increasingly lagged behind the progress made by nearly all other high-income countries.

       “While there are particularly worrying trends in Scotland and the North East of England, this deterioration in the UK’s position is truly a national problem – requiring action from central as well as devolved governments.

       “What is particularly disturbing about our findings is that the risk of dying among adults in the prime of life – those who have not yet got to age 50 – has been increasing in the UK for over a decade while in most other peer countries it has declined.

       “This is shocking as most mortality between the ages of 25-49 years is in principle avoidable. More attention must be paid to providing better services to deal with substance abuse and mental health, as well as taking steps to deal with the causes of these multiple forms of self-harm.”

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       A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Every death from the misuse of drugs is a tragedy.

       "This government is committed to reducing drug-related deaths and supporting more people into recovery to live healthier, longer lives. We remain on high alert to emerging drug threats, including from synthetic opioids.

       "We will continue to work with partners across health, policing and wider public services to drive down drug use, ensure more people receive timely treatment and support, and make our streets and communities safer."

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