There were 2,929 recorded deaths in treatment, which represented 1.1% of all people in treatment. A third (33%) of opiate deaths were people living in the most deprived 10% of areas in England. In these same most deprived areas, there was a similar proportion (31%) of deaths for people in the non-opiate treatment group. Around a quarter of the deaths were in the alcohol only and the alcohol and non-opiate groups (23% and 24% respectively). This map shows local authorities where deaths in drug treatment are higher or lower than expected.
Substances reported by people starting treatment
Despite the high levels of smoking, only 3% of people were recorded as Halfway house having been offered referrals for smoking cessation interventions. Drug use is a significant cause of premature death in England, as the Office for National Statistics drug poisoning data has shown. In England, the number of deaths from drug misuse registered in 2019 was 2,685, which is the highest level since records began. The total number of people who died while in contact with treatment services in 2019 to 2020 was 2,929 (1.1% of all adults in treatment). This is a similar number to last year (2,889, or 1.1% of all adults in treatment).
- The number of people entering treatment for crack is now at the lowest level since 2016 to 2017.
- Many teens misuse prescription medications for self-medication, experimentation or social influence — with opioids, stimulants and sedatives among the most commonly misused.
- Teen substance use is treatable, and early intervention improves outcomes significantly.
- We will also update the existing estimates of alcohol dependence prevalence in England this year, using the existing methodology.
- There was no change in the prevalence of powder cocaine use in the last year for people aged 16 to 59 years (2.4%) and 16 to 24 years (5.1%), compared with the year ending March 2020.
Substance Use in Older Adults DrugFacts
In 2020 to 2021, the proportion of deaths of people in treatment increased from 1.1% to 1.4%. This is the largest increase in the proportion of people dying in treatment since NDTMS data has been collected. This trend has increased from 711 deaths in 2005 to 2006 to 3,726 deaths in 2019 to 2020, which is more than a 5 fold increase. For people in employment at the start of treatment and at their 6 month review, the average number of days they were in employment in the last 28 days increased. This rose from 17.6 days at the start of treatment to 17.7 days https://www.totalwellnessfootclinic.com/sober-living-recovery-housing-addiction-alcoholic-6/ at their review.
Figure 5: Levels of drug use were higher in those who more frequently visited nightclubs
There were 310,863 adults aged 18 and over in contact with drug and alcohol treatment services between April 2023 and March 2024. This is a 7% rise compared to the previous year (290,635), the largest rise in adults in treatment since 2008 to 2009, and the highest number of adults in treatment since 2009 to 2010. Over one-third of people (36.5%) aged 16 to 59 years who used cannabis in the last 12 months used the drug more than once a month, with 10.4% using it every day. Around 8.0% of people aged 16 to 59 years who used powder cocaine and 2.2% of people who used ecstasy reported using these drugs frequently (more than once a month), similar to the previous year. The total number of people who died while in treatment in 2024 to 2025 was 4,273, or 1.3% of all adults in treatment. The total number of people who died while in contact with treatment services in 2024 to 2025 was 4,273, or 1.3% of all adults in treatment.
Trends in use of individual drug types for the year ending March 2023
People starting treatment in 2019 to 2020 with powder cocaine problems increased by 7% (from 20,084 to 21,396). This continues a gradual rise over the last 9 years, with numbers of new treatment entries for powder cocaine now 52% higher than in 2011 to 2012. The number of people entering treatment for problems with opiates but not crack substance abuse in older adults continued on a downward trend. The percentage of people leaving treatment free of dependence fell slightly in 2022 to 2023 to 46.3%. This overall proportion is a slight decline from last year (48.5%) but is comparable with the proportions in the previous years since 2015 to 2016 (50.5%).
This is except for crack cocaine use in those aged 16 to 59 years, which decreased to around 0.03% from 0.10%. There was no statistically significant change in the prevalence of powder cocaine use in the last year for people aged 16 to 59 years (2.1%) and 16 to 24 years (3.8%), compared with YE March 2023. The number of people dying in treatment has increased from 711 deaths in 2005 to 2006 to 4,022 deaths this year, which is 2.5 times higher than in 2009 to 2010 (when NDTMS started collecting data on deaths in alcohol treatment).
Download this chart Figure 4: Younger people were more likely to have taken a drug in the last year than older people
Nicotine was the reason for 20 young people entering treatment in the last year, which was more than those in Somerset. Teen drug use continues to be a major public health concern in the United States. Understanding teen drug use statistics helps parents, educators, clinicians and communities recognize what young people are facing and how to respond with effective prevention and treatment. The front page of DrugAbuseStatistics.org features the most noteworthy drug abuse data, including overdose deaths, demographics, mental health, drug abuse treatment programs, and the cost of the War on Drugs.
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