Opiates were among the main causes behind a spike in drug-related deaths in England and Wales, which reached a record high in 2021, latest official figures show.
A total of 4,859 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in 2021 in England and Wales, equivalent to a rate of 84.4 deaths per million people. This is 6.2 percent higher than the rate recorded in 2020, according to the UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS).
Of the deaths registered last year, 3,809 were due to accidental poisoning, while there were 927 instances of intentional self-poisoning.
There were 119 deaths arising from mental and behavioural disorders as a result of drug use, and four deaths following assault by drugs, medicaments, and biological substances….