LONDON, Aug.15 (Xinhua) -- Drug-poisoning deaths in England and Wales have hit record levels, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Thursday.
Last year saw 4,359 deaths related to drug poisoning, the highest since ONS started to monitor the number in 1993.
The figures show in 2018 there were increases in the number of deaths involving a wide range of substances, with opiates, such as heroin and morphine, continuing to be the most frequent.
Deaths involving cocaine doubled between 2015 and 2018 to their highest ever level, while the numbers involving new psychoactive substances, the group previously referred to as legal highs, returned to their previous levels after halving in 2017.
ONS said the number of deaths was also the largest year-on-year percentage increase, with 16 percent more deaths compared to 2017 when there were 3,756 deaths.
The study also revealed that male drug poisoning rate was also at its highest level, and had significantly increased from 89.6 per million males in 2017 to 105.4 in 2018. The female rate increased for the ninth consecutive year to 47.5 per million females in 2018.
Most drug poisoning deaths in 2018 had an underlying cause of accidental poisoning, accounting for 80 percent of male deaths and 67 percent of female deaths.
This was followed by intentional self-poisoning (16 percent of male deaths and 30 percent of female deaths). The remaining deaths were caused by mental and behavioral disorders as a result of drug use.
England's north east region had a significantly higher rate of deaths relating to drug-misuse than all other English regions, having risen eight times higher compared to 1993. London continued to have the lowest rate throughout the same time period. In the north east the death rate was 96.3 deaths per million people, while in London it was 34.9 deaths per million.
ONS said the numbers of deaths from drug poisonings also show a marked north-south divide across England and Wales,
People in the 40 to 49 age group have the highest rate of deaths from drug misuse, increasing by nearly 92 percent over the past 10 years.
ONS Deputy Director for Health Analysis and Life Events Ben Humberstone said: "The number of deaths from drug use in 2018 was the highest since our records began in 1993. We have also seen the biggest year on year percentage increase.
"Previously this had been linked to a rise in deaths related to opiates like heroin and morphine, but last year there were also increases in deaths across a wider variety of substances including cocaine and what had been known as "legal highs". We produce these figures to help inform decision makers working towards protecting those at risk of dying from drug poisoning."
