You asked
Please would you be able to provide a breakdown of Hertfordshire deaths by drugs misuse data by substance for the most recent 5 reporting year periods?
We said
Thank you for your enquiry.
We produce an annual statistical bulletin on deaths related to drug poisoning, including drug misuse, in England and Wales. The most recent figures available are for deaths registered in 2018.
This bulletin's accompanying datasets can be found via the following link: Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales 2018. This provides an array of figures on drug misuse; breakdowns include by registration year, sex, substance(s) involved in the death, and by the deceased's area of usual residence, including Hertfordshire and its districts.
Unfortunately, we would be unable to provide figures for drug poisoning involving specific substances solely in Hertfordshire in answer to this request. In order to fulfil this request, we would need use a high level of statistical skill and judgement in order to create bespoke analysis for you. Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Public Authorities are not obligated to create information in order to respond to requests. We therefore consider this to be information not held.
However, the requested breakdown may be available on commission as a bespoke, ad hoc production. Please note, such services would be subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreement of costs, where appropriate. If you would like to discuss your requirements further, please contact the Lifestyle and Risk Factors Analysis Branch via Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.
NHS Digital's Statistics on Drug Misuse publication also provides a range of information relating to drug misuse drawn from a variety of sources, which may also be of interest to you. If you have any questions relating to this publication, please contact NHS Digital via email at enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk.
If you have any queries about the data provided, please contact Health.Data@ons.gov.uk.