Drug misuse deaths highest in north east for ninth year running

‘I think the pandemic has made things worse.’ says Mike Trance, chief exeutive of the Forward Trust

The number of drug-related deaths has increased (Paul Faith/PA) (PA Archive)

The north east is the worst region for drug misuse deaths for the ninth year running, as the statistics authority warned of a “marked north south divide”.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics on drug related deaths show a 6.2 per cent increase in 2021 compared to the previous year with two thirds of these deaths related to drug misuse.

This is the ninth consecutive annual rise in drug related deaths and the highest number since records began more than a quarter of a century ago in 1993.