ONS + OHID · updated 2024-10

East Midlands: addiction and mortality statistics

Rising cocaine-related deaths, in line with the national trend.

Drug-poisoning deaths (2023)

396

72.4 / 100k

Opiate deaths

258

65% of drug deaths

Cocaine deaths

21% of drug deaths

Alcohol-specific rate

14.7

per 100k, age-standardised

Alcohol admissions

620

per 100k (narrow, 2022/23)

Adults in treatment

22,800

OHID 2022/23

Population

4.9m

ONS mid-2022 estimate

vs England avg

-12%

drug-death rate

How East Midlands compares to England

The East Midlands drug-poisoning mortality rate is 12% below the England average of 82.2/100k. Alcohol-specific mortality is 1% above the England rate of 14.5/100k.

Opiates account for 65% of drug-poisoning deaths in East Midlands; cocaine accounts for 21%. The remainder are predominantly polydrug fatalities involving benzodiazepines, methadone or novel synthetics.

Local rehab options in East Midlands

Rehab in Nottingham

NHS via Change Grow Live Nottingham

Rehab in Leicester

NHS via Turning Point Leicester

Rehab in Derby

NHS via Derby Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service

Rehab in Lincoln

NHS via We Are With You Lincolnshire

Rehab in Northampton

NHS via Change Grow Live Northamptonshire

100% confidential

Get help with addiction in East Midlands

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Common questions

How many people died from drug poisoning in the East Midlands in 2023?▾

The ONS registered 396 drug-poisoning deaths in the East Midlands in 2023, an age-standardised rate of 72.4 per 100,000. Opiates were involved in 258 of these; cocaine in 84.

Is alcohol mortality higher in the East Midlands than the rest of England?▾

The alcohol-specific death rate in the East Midlands is 14.7 per 100,000 (age-standardised), compared with an England average of 14.5. Alcohol-related hospital admissions (narrow definition) run at 620 per 100,000.

How many adults are in structured addiction treatment in the East Midlands?▾

OHID recorded 22,800 adults in structured treatment in the East Midlands in 2022/23. That includes people in community drug and alcohol services, prescribing programmes, and residential detox.

Where does this data come from?▾

Drug-poisoning deaths are from ONS 2023 registrations. Alcohol mortality and admissions are from OHID's Local Alcohol Profiles for England (Fingertips profile 87). Treatment numbers are from OHID's Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2022–23. All three are published under the Open Government Licence.

Sources: ONS Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales: 2023 registrations; OHID Local Alcohol Profiles for England; OHID Adult substance misuse treatment statistics 2022–23. Data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.