LONDON, United Kingdom - September 2016: Drawn from the national mortality database for England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics published the latest statistical bulletin on drug poisoning deaths reported in 2015. In recent years, the number of deaths involving new psychoactive substances (NPS) rose from 82 deaths reported in 2014 to 114 deaths reported in 2015. More particularly, the number deaths involving mephedrone* doubled from 22 deaths reported in 2014 to 44 deaths reported in the following year. However, the mortality rate of deaths involving NPS (1.9 deaths per 1 million people) continues to be significantly lower than that for heroin and/or morphine (21.3 deaths per 1 million people).

With aim of analysing the recent increase in deaths and helping local areas to avert future premature deaths, a report titled “Understanding and preventing drug-related deaths” was published on the same day as the statistical bulletin. This report presents the independent findings, conclusions and recommendations of an expert group supported by Public Health England and the Local Government Association. With regard to NPS, the report highlights that the increase of deaths associated with NPS could potentially pose a significant problem in the future. However, information on the risks of NPS use remains limited, especially because not enough is known about the long term effects of their use.

Figure 1: Age-standardised mortality rates for selected substances, deaths registered in 1993 to 2015 in England and Wales

Source: Office for National Statistics

*Mephedrone has been under international control since 2015.

For more information, please see:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsrelatedtodrugpoisoninginenglandandwales/2015registrations#deaths-involving-new-psychoactive-substances-so-called-legal-highs-increase-again-in-2015

http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/phe-understanding-preventing-drds.pdf