FOI reference: FOI-2025-2894
You asked
Please can you send me a summary of the following:
- Opioid users
- Opioid-related overdoses
- Opiod-related deaths
- Instances where Narcan (Naloxone) was used, irrespective of outcome (i.e. died/survived)
If possible, I would like this for England, East of England and Southend-on-Sea between 2014 and 2024. If there is any 2025 data available, then this would be useful too, however I acknowledge that this may not be available yet.
We said
Thank you for your request.
We hold mortality data which is collected through the death registration process in England and Wales. This enables us to publish regular statistics on deaths related to drug poisoning occurring in England and Wales.
Data on the number of deaths involving different substances can be found in the Deaths related to drug poisoning by selected substances, England and Wales dataset. Data on the number of drug-related deaths by local authority can be found in the Deaths related to drug poisoning by local authority, England and Wales dataset.
Currently our data on drug-related deaths goes up to 2023 registrations. Statistics for deaths registered in 2024 will be published later this year.
As such, information for 2024 is exempt under Section 22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, whereby information is exempt from release if there is a view to publish the information in the future. As a central government department and producer of official statistics, we need to have the freedom to be able to determine our own publication timetables. This is to allow us to deal with the necessary preparation, administration and context of publications. It would be unreasonable to consider disclosure when to do so would undermine our functions.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data which is arguably not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before.
Data for 2025 is still being collected and will be made available in 2026.
Naloxone is often administered by medical staff to treat a drug poisoning. However, the ONS does not record instances where this substance has been involved in the death as it will not have contributed to the death. We therefore do not hold this information.
We do not hold data on numbers of opioid users or opioid-related overdoses. NHS England (NHSE) have produced statistics on drug misuse as part of their Statistics on Public Health, England 2023 publication. They can be contacted via email at england.contactus@nhs.net