Cocaine and opiates drive drug deaths to record level in England and Wales

Data follows rising trend over past decade, with cocaine-related deaths increasing sevenfold since 2011

Drug-related deaths have reached a record level across England and Wales, with a growing number of people dying after using opiates and cocaine, ONS figures show.

In 2021, 4,859 people were recorded as having died from drug poisoning, the equivalent of 84.4 deaths per million people. This is 6.2% higher than figures for 2020, the ninth consecutive annual rise, and is the highest number since records began in 1993.