The Cheshire area with the highest rate of drug poisoning deaths has been revealed. New Government figures show soaring deaths among cocaine users have fuelled a spike in drug poisoning fatalities, with more deaths last year than ever before.
Drug addiction treatment experts have now warned the nation could be on the cusp of “the biggest drug-related crisis” it has ever seen. In the county, there were a total of 90 drug poisoning deaths recorded during 2023 – up 18 compared to the previous year.
Cheshire East recorded the highest number with 37 in total, compared to 16 the previous year. However, it was Halton that had the highest rate with 10 deaths for every 1,000 people.
The England average is 8.5 deaths. The next highest rate was Cheshire West and Chester with 8.7. Both Cheshire East and Warrington were below the England average.
You can check the number and rate of drug poisoning deaths where you live using our interactive map
The latest Government figures reveal that there were 5,448 deaths caused by drug poisoning in England and Wales in 2023 – an 11 per cent rise from 4,907 deaths the previous year and the highest drug death toll ever recorded. Deaths due to cocaine use have rocketed, with 1,118 deaths involving cocaine last year, 31 per cent higher than in 2022 (857 deaths) and nearly 10 times higher than in 2011 (112 deaths).
Lee Fernandes, lead therapist at the UK Drug Treatment Centres (UKAT) Group, said: “Enough is enough now, as a country we need to come together and step up and take real action to flatten this ever-rising curve. Most concerning to us is the drastic rise in deaths due to substances that are, by definition, meant to keep people alive and live better lives.”
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