Between 2011 and 2022 the number of opioid-related deaths was more than 50% higher than figures given by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), according to a new report from King’s College London .

This report has profound implications on both government and social understanding of drug issues, with UK opioid problems reflecting a “serious drug-related deaths crisis”, said the lead author of the report, Dr Caroline Copeland.

It is also “likely” that the ONS data has “underestimated” the number of deaths due to other substances, such as cocaine, which could also have significant long-term consequences.

Why has the number of opioid deaths been under-reported?

Though the “total number of drug deaths is accurate” in the UK report, the count for deaths due to “specific substances” is

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