Hundreds of people in the area have been affected
Hundreds of people in Hull and East Yorkshire have died while trying to get help for their addictions. According to fresh data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), 117 adults in Hull died while receiving drug treatment between April 2022 and March 2025. This was a slight decrease from 118 between 2021 and 2024.
In East Yorkshire, 26 adults died in 2022-2025 – a decrease from 27 in 2021-2024. OHID clarified that while some fatalities occur each year among those enrolled in an alcohol and drug treatment programme, these deaths may not necessarily be directly linked to alcohol or drug use.
An organisation striving to enhance the nation’s drug and alcohol care and recovery system has suggested that deaths during treatment are often tied to other societal factors associated with substance misuse, such as poverty, and is calling for increased support for those in treatment.
This alarming revelation comes as England saw a record-breaking number of people engaging with drug and alcohol treatment services last year.
Between April 2022 and March 2025, a total of 8,925 people across England died while in contact with treatment services. This includes 4,273 in the year leading up to March – 1.3 per cent of all adults in treatment during that time. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of those deaths were among people struggling with opiate issues, while the group solely dealing with alcohol accounted for 28 per cent.
According to the figures, there were 329,646 adults nationwide in contact with drug and alcohol treatment services in the 12 months leading up to March. This represented a six per cent rise compared to the previous year and marked the highest number of adults receiving treatment since records commenced.
Approximately 152,067 individuals completed treatment during the past year, with 46 per cent successfully finishing their programmes. Those who left treatment successfully had spent an average of 312 days in care.
Dr Will Haydock, chief executive of charity Collective Voice, which campaigns to enhance England’s drug and alcohol treatment and recovery system, said: “Crucially, people are dying from causes other than directly substance use.
“Substance use issues don’t occur in isolation from other aspects of people’s lives, and are often linked to wider disadvantage related to housing, employment and social connection – which we know affect people’s wider health.
“We also know that people who use drugs are under-served by general healthcare, so it’s not just about substance use treatment.”
He argued that access to healthcare and support must be enhanced, alongside interventions such as assistance with smoking cessation and improved cancer screening programmes. Dr Haydock further stated that Government action, including better availability of overdose-reversal medications, streamlining drug licensing to ensure users understand what they are consuming, and funding enhanced harm reduction facilities, could help safeguard people from drug-related fatalities.
Robin Pollard, policy lead at WithYou, said: “These treatment statistics show record numbers of people coming forward for help, which is positive, however they’re arriving with much more complex needs – including long-term physical and mental health conditions – and they often face severe health inequalities.
“Many of the deaths which occur while someone is in treatment will not necessarily be caused by drugs or alcohol, but as a result of these long-term conditions, such as from liver disease, heart or lung problems.”
He said evidence suggests “people are safer and better supported” when in contact with drug, alcohol and mental health services, but criticised the Government for failing to provide sufficient funding. “This public health crisis needs a three-fold approach: saving lives now, supporting long-term recovery, and tackling root causes,” he said.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson responded: “These figures provide a stark reminder of the dangers of drugs and the associated tragic loss of life. This Government is committed to cutting the number of drug related deaths through treatment, advice and support – focusing on deprived areas suffering most.
“We have provided an additional £310 million in 2025-26 to improve drug and alcohol treatment services and recovery support in England, on top of the Public Health Grant, and launched a new campaign to alert young people to the risks of drug misuse.”