Deaths related to drug use have skyrocketed across the capital, new data from London Gov has shown.
Whilst admissions due to drug misuse have also skyrocketed, London Gov’s most recent data shows deaths due to drug poisoning in some of London’s boroughs have also spiked.
The more affluent City of London has maintained a steady low death rate, whilst other areas of London with a lower socio-economic rate have seen higher death rates.
The borough of Hammersmith & Fulham saw a spike in deaths between 2021 and 2023, and this trend remained similar in the borough of Hackney, where 20 people died in 2023 of a drug-related issue.
A chief nurse who has asked to remain anonymous has said: “This is a cause for concern, and at the moment, we can only see the rise in drug incidents getting worse, not just in London but across the country, as data shows us.”
When speaking to a recovery and wellness influencer, HealingWithZach, about the rise in fatalities, he said: “It is so easy to access drugs today, cocaine is no longer a luxurious drug.
“Everyone from your neighbour to millionaires can access it, which means more people can take it, so more demand equals more incidents.”
A historic high is also seen in male admissions due to drug misuse hitting an all-time high across England and Wales, tripling that of women.
Recent data shows that within London alone, there has been an increase in men being admitted to hospital due to drugs.
However, NHS England data published at the end of 2024 shows an overall decrease in hospital admissions for drug poisoning across the rest of the country.
Between 2018 and 2019 and 2022 and 2023, there has been a 21.5% decrease in the admission of patients due to drug poisoning.
However, this does not rule out other drug-related incidents, like drug deaths and mental health-related admissions induced by drugs.
This piece of data does not look at regions, gender or age either, but is a good indicator for the National Health Service that overall drug poisoning is decreasing.
Recovery influencer Zachary O’Brian said: “There is no war on drugs, there is an epidemic, and it is increasing more and more.”
The influencer’s statement is backed up by recent data published, where in London alone, 12,600 men have been admitted to hospital due to drug-related issues, triple that of women.
Zach said: “Addiction hits a certain type of person, insecurity, but the reason that is getting amped up is social media.
“People are trying to be something they’re not, they see something online they’re not so they’re chasing an escape that drugs can give them.”
The Chief Nursing Officer added: “Men are more likely to be hospitalised due to the societal stigma around asking for help.
“Men don’t seem to ask for help as much as women do, and therefore we see a lot of male overdoses in our trust.”
Zach also touched upon this, as he discussed the issues with both men and women in lower socioeconomic backgrounds who are worried about asking for help because they may lose their houses, children, or businesses.
Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drugs recently called for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce to be rebuilt, so it can deliver a better outcome.
Drug Testing Kits UK recently analysed drug statistics across all UK regions, highlighting that Northwest England has the highest admission rates per 100,000 people.
Statistics from the Office of National Statistics confirmed that male deaths from drug misuse are at a historic high, emphasising a persistent gender gap.
The Chief Nursing Officer further said: “There is a cultural emphasis on self-reliance which may cause men to attempt to manage their mental health issues independently, often through substance abuse.”
This is shown through the data above, and therefore, London and other regions of England are seeing a disparity in drug-related deaths, particularly in men without sufficient support.
Therefore, whilst drug-related deaths are decreasing across the country, they still remain an epidemic in the capital and the North West of England.
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