Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to reduce the number of illicit drug deaths.

The Department is actively working to reduce the number of drug-related deaths, investing over £300 million into drug and alcohol treatment this year, which will help prevent drug-related harm and save lives. This includes funding over 50,000 additional treatment places, which we know protects against drug deaths.

We are working to expand access to naloxone, a life-saving medicine that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. The Government laid legislation on 29 July 2024, which, subject to passage through Parliament, will enable more services and organisations to provide take-home supplies of naloxone without a prescription. These changes will mean naloxone can be given to a family member or friend of a person who is known to be using opiates, and to professionals working with people who use these drugs, to save lives in the event of an overdose.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has an action plan to prevent a greater number of drug and alcohol-related deaths. The plan has five priorities around improving: treatment practice; local systems; toxicology and surveillance; stigma; and poly-drug and alcohol use. Some specific elements include improving the integration of treatment services with mental and physical healthcare, expanded specialist inpatient detoxification, and guidance on drug and alcohol death review processes.

The Office for Life Sciences is also running a £5 million fund to tackle fatal drug deaths across the United Kingdom, which is investing in research projects that are developing technologies aimed at improving detection, response, or intervention in potential drug-related deaths. Further information on this fund is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/5-million-fund-to-tackle-fatal-drug-deaths-across-the-uk