ONS + OHID · updated 2024-10

East of England: addiction and mortality statistics

Below-average drug-poisoning rate but sharpest rise in cocaine deaths since 2021.

Drug-poisoning deaths (2023)

425

57.4 / 100k

Opiate deaths

279

66% of drug deaths

Cocaine deaths

22% of drug deaths

Alcohol-specific rate

12.5

per 100k, age-standardised

Alcohol admissions

490

per 100k (narrow, 2022/23)

Adults in treatment

18,700

OHID 2022/23

Population

6.4m

ONS mid-2022 estimate

vs England avg

-30%

drug-death rate

How East of England compares to England

The East of England drug-poisoning mortality rate is 30% below the England average of 82.2/100k. Alcohol-specific mortality is 14% below the England rate of 14.5/100k.

Opiates account for 66% of drug-poisoning deaths in East of England; cocaine accounts for 22%. The remainder are predominantly polydrug fatalities involving benzodiazepines, methadone or novel synthetics.

Local rehab options in East of England

Rehab in Cambridge

NHS via Change Grow Live Cambridgeshire

Rehab in Norwich

NHS via Change Grow Live Norfolk

Rehab in Ipswich

NHS via Turning Point Suffolk

Rehab in Luton

NHS via ResoLUTiONs (CGL)

Rehab in Peterborough

NHS via Aspire Peterborough (CGL)

Rehab in Southend-on-Sea

NHS via Open Road Southend

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Get help with addiction in East of England

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Common questions

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

The ONS registered 425 drug-poisoning deaths in the East of England in 2023, an age-standardised rate of 57.4 per 100,000. Opiates were involved in 279 of these; cocaine in 94.

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

The alcohol-specific death rate in the East of England is 12.5 per 100,000 (age-standardised), compared with an England average of 14.5. Alcohol-related hospital admissions (narrow definition) run at 490 per 100,000.

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

OHID recorded 18,700 adults in structured treatment in the East of England 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.