Number of NI drug deaths has more than doubled

There were 189 drug-related deaths registered in Northern Ireland in 2018, figures released by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency on Thursday show.

That number is more than double the number of drug deaths in 2008, which stood at 89.

The number of drug-related deaths was also up 39% in 2018 on the previous year, when there were 136.

Half of all the drug deaths in 2018 were men aged 25-44.

The figures further show that between 2017 and 2018, the drug-related mortality rate increased for both males and females. The rate for males increased from 11 per 100,000 males to 14.4; for females the equivalent rate rose from 3.7 per 100,000 females to 5.9. Males accounted for 70.4 per cent (133) of the 189 drug-related deaths registered in Northern Ireland in 2018.

Of the 189 drug-related deaths in 2018, 72 (38.1%) were in the 25-34 age group with a further 50 (26.5%) in the 35-44 age group. These figures equate to age-specific, drug-related mortality rates of 29 deaths per 100,000 people, aged 25-34 and 20.9 deaths per 100,000 people, aged 35-44.

More than 85% (161) of all drug-related deaths in 2018 were classed as drug-misuse deaths, compared with 59.6 per cent (53) in 2008. The rate of death relating to drug-misuse increased from 3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2008 to 8.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2018.

Half of drug-related deaths in 2018 involved three or more drugs. In contrast, in 2008 almost half of drug-related deaths involved one drug.

Since 2010, over half of drug-related deaths each year have involved an opioid. In 2018, a total of 115 drug-related deaths had an opioid mentioned on the death certificate. Heroin and morphine were the most frequently mentioned opioids in 2018, connected to 40 drug-related deaths, up from 24 in 2017 and the highest number on record.

Drug-related deaths involving cocaine increased from 13 in 2017 to 28 in 2018 and is the highest level on record.

Diazepam was listed in 40.2% of all drug-related deaths in 2018, a similar proportion to that recorded in previous years. Drug-related deaths involving pregabalin, however, have risen consistently since its first appearance in these statistics in 2013; the annual number of deaths involving this controlled substance rose from 9 in 2016, to 33 in 2017 and 54 in 2018. The latest figure sees pregabalin appearing in 28.6% of all drug related deaths.

Almost 23% of all drug-related deaths in 2018 also mentioned alcohol on the death certificate, a proportion which has remained relatively consistent over the last five years.

The statistics also indicate that there are notably higher numbers of drug-related deaths in areas of deprivation across Northern Ireland. People living in the most deprived areas are five times more likely to die from a drug-related death than those in the least deprived areas.