London drug death rate hits historic high and will inevitably reach levels seen in US, warns police chief

2 comments

1. >London’s drug poisoning death rate is at its highest in more than 20 years, with 56.6 deaths recorded per million people in the capital last year.
   >
   >That’s the highest drug death rate since 2000, when 58.4 deaths were recorded per million people in London.
   >
   >Despite the spike, London had the lowest rate for drug poisonings compared with the rest of England and Wales in 2022, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Tuesday.
   >
   >Deaths registered from drug poisoning in England and Wales are at the highest level since records began 30 years ago – with 4,907 deaths recorded last year.
   >
   >Opiates were involved in just under half of such deaths, with heroin and morphine remaining the most frequently mentioned in registrations, the ONS said.
   >
   >Experts have warned a surge in synthetic opioids have been linked to a number of deaths in London, and in the rest of the UK.
   >
   >Synthetic opioids include fentanyl – a drug 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.
   >
   >Continued in link

2. Bit of a weird headline since the article points out that drug deaths are lower in London than the rest of the UK.

   > The North East continued to have the highest rates of deaths relating to drug poisoning (133.9 deaths per million people) and drug misuse (81.7 per million), while London had the lowest rate for drug poisonings (56.6 deaths per million people)

   Still bad and newsworthy rates are going up of course, but this isn’t a London problem like the headline suggests.