South Yorkshire drugs deaths rise
Drugs-related deaths have increased in South Yorkshire
Last updated 14th Oct 2020
Drugs-related deaths in South Yorkshire are up.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show 143 cases were recorded in 2019 in Doncaster, Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield - a rise from the 128 reported in 2018.
Across England and Wales numbers remain at a record high.
Ben Humberstone, deputy director of health analysis and life events at the ONS, said: "Almost half of all drug related deaths involved opiates such as heroin and morphine.
"However, cocaine deaths rose for the eighth consecutive year to their highest level.''
The data shows that the drugs-related death rate of men was twice as high as that of women.
Professor Julia Sinclair, chairwoman of the Addictions Faculty of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said drug-related deaths are preventable but years of cuts have left services ill-equipped and under-resourced.
She said: "Loss of addiction psychiatry expertise through lack of training places and community services often being split from the NHS are only making things worse, with patients with multiple health needs no longer getting joined-up care.
"The tragic number of drug-related deaths should be all the evidence the Government needs to substantially invest in addiction services, before more lives are needlessly lost.''