Sad records were broken in England, Wales and Scotland in 2020. These three countries of the United Kingdom recorded major increases in fatal overdoses in 2020. The National Bureau of Statistics (ONS) mainly blames cocaine and opiates, which can be found in heroin or codeine, a drug that has been used as a drug by young people in recent years. According to the data released, 4,561 fatal overdoses were recorded in England and Wales in 2020, a rate of 76.7 per million inhabitants. These figures represent a jump of 3.8% compared to 2019. This is unheard of since the start of the surveys in 1993, specifies the ONS.
"This general trend is mainly due to deaths linked to opiates, but also to the increase in deaths linked to other substances such as cocaine," the statistics office explained.
Indeed, nearly half of these overdoses concerned an opioid, while deaths from cocaine use jumped 9.7%.
Consequence of social inequalities?
While the ONS said it was too early to assess the effect of repeated lockdowns last year in the UK on this trend, the study highlights social explanations for some disparities.
There is a "marked" divide between the north and south of England in the drug abuse death rate.
The northeast of the country in particular, a disadvantaged region, recorded the largest increase, while London recorded the lowest rates.
Latest Drugs Death figures have been published by @NatRecordsScot and are simply heart breaking.
1,339 people lost their lives to drugs in Scotland in 2020. A historic high and every one a tragedy.
Thinking of those who have lost loved ones.
We need more action now.
pic.twitter.com/nW0jtS8W6w
- Dr. Louise Marryat (@LMarryat) July 30, 2021
Unsurprisingly, Scotland is still the worst performer in Europe when it comes to drugs.
Despite increased efforts by the Scottish authorities, the situation remains chaotic as more than 1,300 people died in 2020 after using drugs in the country.
VIDEO.
The "Trainspotting" trailer
For the past seven years, this figure has continued to increase in a country traumatized by the “
Trainspotting
generation
” named after Danny Boyle's film, which was set in Edinburgh in the 1990s. The young Scots of the time were heavy consumers. heroines, and the following generations seem to be inherited from this vulnerability.
