Prevention of Drug Deaths

Andrew Murrison Excerpts

Thursday 27th March 2025 Westminster Hall

[Several hon. Members rose—]

[Dr Andrew Murrison (in the Chair)]

Order. There is a lot of interest in this debate. I will not set a firm limit on speeches, but I suggest that an indicative three minutes should get most people in, but probably not all. I remind Members that if they want to speak, they have to indicate that they wish to do so.

[Grahame Morris (Easington) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my good and honourable friend, the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), on securing this really important debate. Not for the first time, I find myself agreeing with what he said.

Drug deaths are at a record high. They are mainly from opioids, but deaths from cocaine have risen by almost a third. As the hon. Gentleman said, synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl and the nitazenes present an increasing and alarming threat, which has not been properly quantified. We have seen the growth in the number of deaths across the Atlantic, and I suspect the problem is much bigger here than we think.

There is no doubt that this is a public health crisis. Sadly, the north-east of England has the highest rate of drug deaths in England—three times higher than London. In the latest stats, released in October 2024, the north-east recorded 174 deaths per million, compared with an England average of 90. Too often, in the communities I represent, I have seen people turn to drugs because of deprivation and despair. Once addiction takes hold, it often leads to crime. It is no coincidence that drug deaths are highest in the areas of greatest deprivation. The data is clear: communities struggling with poverty and inequality are those hit hardest by addiction.

This is not a new problem—certainly, it is complex—but it is being exacerbated by disinvestment in harm reduction and drug treatment programmes. If we are serious about tackling this problem, we need to do something different. To some, a tougher crackdown may seem the obvious response, but we have more than 50 years of evidence showing that punitive drug policies do not work. The war on drugs has failed, not just in the UK but globally. We cannot simply arrest our way out of this crisis. That is why today I want to offer a different perspective, which moves beyond outdated, one-size-fits-all approaches.

Abstinence-based recovery is one path, but it is not the only one. If we truly want to reduce drug deaths and support recovery, we must reduce harm, reduce stigma and invest in treatment provision, with protected, ringfenced and sustained long-term funding. That funding could support solutions such as opioid substitution treatment, which saves an estimated 1,000 lives annually; medically supervised overdose prevention centres, like the Thistle safer consumption facility in Glasgow; heroin-assisted treatment; and increased availability of drug testing. Those measures are crucial in addressing the current crisis and saving lives.

As chair of the drugs, alcohol and justice all-party parliamentary group—supported by treatment providers Via, Waythrough and WithYou—I recently had the honour of chairing a meeting at which Professor Sir Michael Marmot, the leading expert in health inequalities, laid out the stark reality. He told us:

“Social injustice is killing on a grand scale.”

He made it clear that areas of the greatest deprivation suffered the deepest cuts during austerity, exacerbating addiction and its consequences. I encourage the Minister and all Ministers to consider how we as a nation can adopt the Marmot principles—principles that foster a fairer, more equitable society in which everyone is given the best possible start in life and we work to prevent “deaths of despair”.

I am conscious of the time, but I want to mention a dear friend of mine who is no longer with us—the late Ron Hogg, who was the police and crime commissioner in Durham. He was a true pioneer of drug policy reform. He was bold, compassionate and unafraid to challenge the status quo. He introduced heroin-assisted treatment and diversion schemes at a time when they were far from popular, but popularity was not his goal. He was seeking to reduce harm, save lives and ease the burden on our criminal justice system.

The evidence is clear: investment in treatment works; harm reduction saves lives; and tackling stigma is essential. We must stop seeing addiction solely as a criminal justice issue and instead treat it as a public health emergency.

[Dr Andrew Murrison (in the Chair)]

Short speeches mean that more colleagues get in.

--- Later in debate ---

[Leigh Ingham (Stafford) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for securing this debate, as the prevention of drug-related deaths affects many in all our constituencies across the country.

Drug misuse is a complex problem with many causes and impacts, but one thing is clear: the current rates of death are completely unacceptable. In 2022, there were 7,912 alcohol-specific deaths. In 2023, 5,448 deaths related to drug poisoning were registered in England and Wales. That is the highest number since records began and a tragedy that has to stop. We cannot allow this crisis to continue unchecked.

In last week’s business questions, I spoke about how important community services are in supporting people with substance misuse issues. One example that stands out in my constituency of Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages is Chase Recovery, a truly innovative, community-based, peer-led rehabilitation programme. I recently had the privilege of visiting and saw at first hand the incredible impact the programme is having on the lives of those seeking recovery from substance misuse. It is not just a treatment programme but a lifeline for those who need it most. It offers a holistic, supportive environment where individuals can recover, rebuild their lives and develop new skills and confidence. Truly, I could not describe it as anything more than a really welcoming and supportive community.

During my visit I had the pleasure of meeting Paul and Cara, who run the organisation. They are incredibly passionate people who lead the programme with incredible dedication. Their drive and commitment to helping others is truly inspiring. They are making a difference every single day, and I have no doubt that the work they are doing is helping people to achieve long-term recovery and to rebuild their lives in a meaningful way.

Programmes like Chase Recovery prove how community- based, peer-led services can play a vital role in sustainable, long-term recovery, but those programmes need support from the Government to ensure that they can continue their vital work and reach even more people in need. It only takes one helping hand to change someone’s life. I encourage the Minister to outline what the Government are doing not only on prevention but on community-led treatment.

[Dr Andrew Murrison (in the Chair)]

That was commendably brief.