Latest drug death figures reveal more lives lost as current policies fail to keep us safe

Data published today from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) of the 2024 figures for deaths related to drug poisoning and misuse in England and Wales shows rising drug deaths in London.

Toplines from the ONS data nationally include:

• A rise in deaths related to drug poisoning from 93.0 deaths per million or 5,448 deaths in 2023 to 93.9 deaths per million people or 5,565 deaths in 2024.
• Drug death rate among men is more than double that of women, with a rate of 128.7 deaths per million compared to 60.6 deaths per million among women.
• Double the rate of drug-poisoning deaths since 2012, when the rate was 46.5 deaths per million compared to the 2024 rate of 93.9 deaths per million.

London had the largest increase in the rate of drug-poisoning deaths, increasing from 58.1 deaths per million and 500 deaths in 2023 to 76.5 deaths per million and 662 deaths in 2024.

Today’s news comes as research from King's College London found 13,000 heroin and opioid deaths were not included in official statistics meaning that between 2011 and 2022 deaths were 50 per cent higher than previously known. [1]

Table 1 illustrates a borough-by-borough breakdown of deaths by drug misuse.

Emphasising how drug policies are failing Londoners, Green Party London Assembly Member Zoë Garbett said:

“Today’s tragic numbers represent far more than just statistics – they were parents, someone’s child, friends and neighbours who should still be with us. Behind every death is a family left to grieve and a community left asking why nothing is changing.

“Despite billions spent on enforcement, deaths are rising and the drug supply is becoming increasingly unpredictable and deadly.

“This is not the result of individual choices, it is the consequence of political inaction and historic drug laws that continues to criminalise people, and the stigma that prevents public health approaches from being properly adopted.”

“If we are serious about saving lives, the Government must stop doubling down on failure. We need a public health approach to drugs, one that includes a safe supply, legal regulation and access to care and policies rooted in evidence.

“I’ve been calling on the Mayor to urgently take practical steps to save lives and reduce harm. There are measures within his power, such as supporting safe drug consumption rooms and ensuring police carry naloxone, that could make a real difference.

“It would be transformational if the Mayor used his platform to push for drug policies rooted in health and care.”

Table 1: Number of deaths related to drug misuse, persons by local authority, registered in each year between 2013 and 2024