Drug Deaths Reach Highest Level on Record Amid Dire Warnings From Police and Crime Commissioner

Narcotics deaths in England and Wales are at the highest level since records began 30 years ago, says the Office of National Statistics. Heroin and morphine remain the most common killer drugs, but deaths involving cocaine are now seven times higher than they were in 2011. The ONS said those most likely to die from overdoses were Generation X, with the highest number of fatalities among those aged 40—49. The release of the figures, which cover the year 2022, comes as Donna Jones, chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, warned it was “inevitable” London and other British cities would face a spike in deaths like the United States as a result of events in Afghanistan....