WithYou responds to media coverage of deaths reported in treatment

Following recent media coverage of deaths among people in contact with drug and alcohol services, WithYou has highlighted the complex health needs many people face and the need for sustained investment to keep people safe and support recovery.

On 4 December 2025, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) published a report on adult substance misuse statistics in England from 2024 to 2025. 

The report finds that:

• 8,925 people died while in contact with drug and alcohol treatment services across England between April 2022 and March 2025, including 4,273 deaths in the year to March 2025.

• 329,646 adults were in contact with treatment services in the 12 months to March 2025 - a 6% increase on the previous year and the highest number recorded since reporting began.

• 152,067 people left treatment during the year, with 46% completing their treatment successfully. The average length of treatment for those completing successfully was 312 days.

Robin Pollard, Policy Lead at WithYou, says:

“Drug-related deaths across England and Wales are at a record high. These treatment statistics show record numbers of people coming forward for help, which is positive, however they’re arriving with much more complex needs - including long-term physical and mental health conditions - and they often face severe health inequalities. Many of the deaths which occur while someone is in treatment will not necessarily be caused by drugs or alcohol, but as a result of these long-term conditions, such as from liver disease, heart or lung problems.

“The evidence shows that people are safer and better supported when they are engaged with services like WithYou. Yet the Government has failed to match the investment levels recommended in Dame Carol Black’s report on drugs, putting these vital services at real risk of cuts.

"This public health crisis needs a three-fold approach: saving lives now, supporting long-term recovery, and tackling root causes.”