Annual number of deaths registered related to drug poisoning, by local authority, England and Wales.

In 2023, 259 deaths were recorded in England and Wales as a result of paracetamol poisoning. Over the provided time interval, the number of fatal drug poisonings by paracetamol has generally fallen since peaking at 653 deaths in 1997. Paracetamol is a commonly used painkiller dispensed over-the-counter in the United Kingdom. How does paracetamol poisoning happen? Overdose from this medication occurs after excessive ingestion, which can happen either accidentally or deliberately. In the UK, three types of overdose from paracetamol have been defined by the National poisons information service. They are acute overdose – taking a large amount of the drug within one hour most likely in the circumstance of self-harm; staggered overdose – a large amount ingested but over a longer period than one hour still usually related to self-harm; and therapeutic excess which is usually done when trying to treat pain and without intent to harm oneself. Context of paracetamol overdose deaths In 2019, there were over 4.4 thousand deaths overall from drug poisoning in England and Wales. Showing that paracetamol overdose deaths account for a relatively small share of drug deaths overall. Overdose deaths are twice as common in males than females. Furthermore, the majority of drug overdose deaths in England and Wales were ruled as accidental poisonings. However, in 2019, around 950 deaths were declared to be intentional self-poisoning.

This statistic displays the number of deaths from fentanyl drug poisoning in England and Wales from 1999 to 2023. The largest number of deaths from fentanyl drug poisoning were recorded in 2017, with 75 deaths recorded. There were 41 deaths recorded in 2023.

In England and Wales, the number of deaths as a result of cocaine use has been increasing significantly over the last 25 years. In 1993, there were only eleven deaths due to cocaine use in England and Wales, by 2023 the number of deaths had risen 1,118. The UK has the highest share of users in Europe In 2019, the United Kingdom had the highest prevalence of cocaine users in Europe at 2.7 percent. This was followed by Spain and the Netherlands which both had around two percent of individuals using cocaine in this period. Age of cocaine users in the UK When broken down by age, the highest prevalence of cocaine users in England and Wales can be found in the youngest age groups. Almost over six percent of those aged 15 to 24 years used cocaine in 2018, and 4.6 percent in the above age group, 25 to 34 years, used in the same year. Additionally, since 2010 the share of school children who have taken cocaine in England has increased.

Deaths related to cannabis use in England and Wales amounted to 32 in 2023. This was the highest annual amount in the past 30 years. The number of cannabis-related deaths was lowest in 2011,at seven deaths, and since 2014 the annual number of fatalities has remained above twenty. Use of cannabisAccording to a survey, over 30 percent of the English and Welsh public admitted they had consumed cannabis as of 2023. Prevalence of cannabis use in the previous twelve months, however, was at just under eight percent. Generally, cannabis was not regarded to be as dangerous as other illegal or even legal drugs by the public. Over a third of surveyed British individuals considered cannabis to be not harmful, compared to only four percent who thought tobacco is not harmful. Caught green handedIn the period 2022/23, cannabis was by far the most common drug seized by the police and border force in England and Wales. Cannabis was seized over 140 thousand times, with the next highest number of seizures involving cocaine at 19 thousand. Although, the majority of the British public support a policy change regarding the legal status of cannabis. As of 2024, 56 percent of surveyed Brits believed cannabis and other soft drugs should be legalized or decriminalized.

In 2018, 92 people died as a result of MDMA/ecstasy use in England and Wales, this was by far the highest amount of recorded deaths in the 25-year period shown, while 79 deaths were recorded as a result of MDMA in 2023. Since the turn of the century, the number of deaths has remained relatively high apart from a drastic fall in 2010 and 2011 before subsequently rising again. Seriousness of MDMA offencesIn the United Kingdom (UK) MDMA is categorized as a class A drug which means it carries the most severe penalties for both possession and supply. In 2021/22, police in England and Police carried out almost 2.5 thousand seizures of ecstasy. This is approximately 70 percent fewer seizures compared to 2006/07. Comparisons with the EUThe Netherlands had the highest prevalence of ecstasy use in the EU at almost five percent admitting to using in a the last year as of 2022. The UK's closest neighbor, Ireland, ranked as having the second-highest reported use at 2.7 percent.

This statistic displays the number of deaths from antidepressants drug poisoning in England and Wales from 1993 to 2023. The largest number of deaths caused by antidepressants was recorded in 2023, with 615 deaths recorded.

This statistic displays the number of drug-related deaths due to benzodiazepine use in England and Wales from 1993 to 2023. The number of benzodiazepine-related drug deaths amounted to 512 in 2023, the second-highest annual amount in the last 30 years.

This statistic displays the number of deaths from codeine drug poisoning in England and Wales from 1993 to 2023. The number of recorded deaths from codeine drug poisoning was 242 in 2023, the highest figure in the given time period.

This statistic displays the number of drug poisoning deaths due to diazepam use in England and Wales from 1993 to 2023. The number diazepam poisoning deaths have generally increased over this period, with 262 deaths reported in 2022. In 2020, there were 304 deaths due to diazepam use, the highest number of deaths recorded since 1993.

This statistic displays the number of deaths from tramadol drug poisoning in England and Wales from 1993 to 2023. The largest number of deaths from tramadol drug poisoning was in 2014, with 240 deaths recorded. In 2023, there were 218 deaths recorded.