Key issues
Prevalence of drug use
From 2020 to 2023, prevalence of any drug use in people aged 16-59 years remained the same, however current prevalence levels have increased by 17% compared to 20133. In 2023, there has been a 3.4% decrease in prevalence of drug use since 2020, for people aged 16-24 years. However, drug use in this age group still remains highest at 17.6%. This fall in drug use was only seen in males and was largely due to a decrease in cannabis use.
Increasing trend in drug related deaths
Nationally, the rate of drug misuse deaths has continued to increase over recent and is the highest it has been since records began in 1993. Rates of deaths are elevated among those born in the 1970s, with the highest rate in those aged 40 to 49 years, and in males are over double the rate in females.
The North East continues to be the region with the highest rates of drug misuse deaths in the country. In North Tyneside, the rate of drug related deaths for 2021-23 was 12.9 per 100,000, which is an increase from the previous recorded data (2020-22). Locally, the mortality rate for drug misuse deaths is above the North East average for the same time period (9.8 per 100,000) and puts North Tyneside 3rd out of the 12 local authorities in the region.
Drug-related Harm
The rate of drug specific hospital admissions in North Tyneside, (from OHID. 2024. Adult Drug Commissioning Support Pack: 2023-24: Key Data) in adults, is over double the rate for England (93.2 per 100,000 and 42.9 per 100,000 respectively). This can be an indicator of future deaths; people who experience non-fatal overdoses are more likely to suffer a future fatal overdose.
The cost to society in the UK due to demand for illicit drugs and drug misuse is estimated to be a total of £21 billion, covering a range of drug-related issues such as tackling supply, providing treatment, and drug-related crime.
Drug misuse and harms have been rising in England, with people in areas of higher deprivation being most affected, experiencing higher levels of drug addiction and drug-related crime5. Drug addiction is often co-occurring with a range of health inequalities, such as mental ill health, homelessness and contact with the criminal justice system.