UK drug-related deaths rise to highest level since records began

Drug use may be going down amongst young people, but overall drug-related deaths last year rose to the highest levels since records began.

Legal and illegal drug use was linked to almost 4000 fatalities in 2017 – accidental overdoses accounting for two thirds of that figure. And there’s been a spike in the numbers killed by a new synthetic class of opiates called Fentanyl which is 100 times more potent than morphine.

We discuss the issues with Elizabeth Burton-Phillips from the charity she founded, DrugFAM and with Niamh Eastwood from the charity, Release.