04 November 2026
Today (4 November 2026), the ONS published its annual report on drug-related deaths. The report finds that:
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In England and Wales, 5,519 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in 2025, the equivalent of 92.4 deaths per million people; overall, this was the first annual decrease in the age-standardised mortality rate since 2012, down from 93.9 deaths per million and 5,565 deaths in 2024.
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Cocaine was the most frequently mentioned specific substance involved in drug-poisoning deaths registered in 2025, with 1,233 deaths, overtaking heroin or morphine (1,210 deaths); opiates and opioids remained the most frequently mentioned substance group and were involved in 2,324 deaths, 11.3% fewer than in 2024.
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The North East continued to have the highest drug-poisoning mortality rate, despite a decrease from 167.6 deaths per million people in 2024 to 135.2 in 2025 (the largest decrease among English regions); London had the lowest rate at 58.3 deaths per million.
Simon Phillips, CEO of drug and alcohol treatment provider, WithYou, said:
“These deaths were preventable. Each number is a person, with family, friends, and a future, and their loss is felt every day. My thoughts are with them today. Any fall is welcome, but even one life lost is too many.) These deaths are preventable with the right support, treatment and policy-making.
“Drugs policy needs political leadership. Responsibility is spread across at least six government departments, with no single minister in charge. Dame Carol Black’s independent review recommended appointing a single, responsible minister to hold the government to account. I urge the government to appoint a dedicated drugs minister with the authority to drive action across central Government.
There’s no single quick fix for this complex problem. The best way to tackle it is with a joined-up approach that focuses on saving lives now, helping people recover over time, and addressing the root causes for the future. Drug deaths don’t exist in a vacuum. They’re bound up with homelessness, poverty, poor mental health, unemployment, crime and the pressure on the NHS, and the government can’t meet its goals on any of these without taking drug harm seriously.
“Worryingly, the drug supply is also becoming stronger and less predictable. Nitazenes, synthetic opioids far more powerful than heroin, are turning up in other drugs without people knowing. Yet there is still no national drug checking service in England. The government should set one up urgently, and make naloxone, the medicine that reverses overdoses, easy to get for anyone who might need it. It should also allow overdose prevention centres where people are injecting in public, so people can use drugs under supervision and be connected to treatment.
“I welcome this government showing ambition on homelessness, housing, health and getting young people back into work. It now needs to show the same ambition on reducing drug-related harms, with a clear plan, a minister in charge and the political will to act on the evidence.
“If you’re worried about your drug use, or that of someone close to you, we’re here to help. Our webchat at wearewithyou.org.uk offers free, confidential advice from expert recovery workers.”
