← Back to Westminster Hall Debates
Prevention of Drug Deaths
27 March 2025
Lead MP
Jim Shannon
Strangford
DUP
Responding Minister
Ashley Dalton
Tags
NHSNorthern Ireland
Word Count: 13455
Other Contributors: 16
At a Glance
Jim Shannon raised concerns about prevention of drug deaths in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Jim Shannon asks for urgent action to integrate mental health support with drug treatment services and for long-term funding approaches that provide continuity and allow strategic planning.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Drug deaths have increased by 85% in England and Wales over the last decade, with Northern Ireland having the second highest drug-related death rate in the UK, nearly five times the European average. Young adults aged between 25 and 34 are dying at the highest rate, and people in deprived communities are five and a half times more likely to die from drug-related causes than those in less deprived areas.
Agreed to meet Grahame Morris and others to discuss how best to address drug-related deaths based on evidence.
David Williams
Lab
Stoke-on-Trent North
Drug-related deaths in England and Wales increased by 85% between 2013 and 2023, while spending on drug and alcohol services decreased. Stoke-on-Trent saw a 21% reduction in treatment funding from 2019 to 2023. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs suggested interventions like trauma-informed treatment for vulnerable people. He thanked Jim Shannon for raising the issue of children affected by parental drug use and supported the need for a mission-based approach to ensure every child has the best start in life.
West Dunbartonshire
Paid tribute to Christina McKelvie, noted an increase in drug-related deaths in West Dunbartonshire from 20 to 26, with opioids implicated in 80% of those deaths. Emphasised the need for more funding and support for local organisations like Alternatives.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Sleaford and North Hykeham
Raises concerns about the significant gender imbalance in drug deaths, regional disparities, age-related trends, and the need for effective education to prevent drug addiction among young people. She questions the Government's understanding of drug use epidemiology and their steps towards developing policies.
Johnson
Con
Dartford
Agrees on evidence-based policy, discusses drug use in workplaces and communities, highlights the need for enforcement to reduce illegal substance availability.
Euan Stainbank
Lab
Falkirk
Between 2010 and 2023, 333 people in Falkirk died from drug misuse, highlighting the failure of unscientific moralising drug policy.
Grahame Morris
Lab
Easington
Drug deaths in the north-east of England are three times higher than in London. The region has seen an increase in synthetic opioids and cocaine-related deaths, with deprivation playing a significant role. The speaker advocates for harm reduction measures such as opioid substitution treatment and heroin-assisted therapy. Highlights the lack of effective treatment in prisons and questions about the availability of Buvidal. Challenges the status quo. Asked the Minister to meet him and a group of treatment providers to discuss effective ways to tackle drug-related deaths.
Chichester
Every drug-related death is a preventable tragedy and represents shattered families and lost futures.
Leigh Ingham
Lab
Stafford
The prevention of drug-related deaths affects many constituencies across the country, and community services are crucial in supporting people with substance misuse issues. The Chase Recovery programme in Stafford is a lifeline for those seeking recovery.
Lewis Atkinson
Lab
Sunderland Central
Under the last Labour Government, a new national drug strategy was implemented with funding and a National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse.
Lillian Jones
Lab
Kilmarnock and Loudoun
The SNP Government's approach to tackling drug deaths has been too slow, reactive, and piecemeal. There is a need for a genuinely joined-up approach that ensures everyone struggling with drugs gets the care they need.
Glasgow West
Scotland has Europe's highest number of drug deaths, with 1,172 fatalities in 2023. The Scottish Affairs Committee is investigating a safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow as part of the UK's first such initiative.
Rachael Maskell
Lab/Co-op
York Central
Supports the need for harm reduction units to help people access care and support, suggesting a public health approach alongside a compassionate response to addiction.
Siân Berry
Green
Brighton Pavilion
Called for a public health emergency due to increasing drug-related overdoses in Brighton, urging the Minister to outline steps towards legal regulation of drugs and significant funding increases for treatment services. Raised concerns about over-policing and criminalisation.
Susan Murray
LD
Mid Dunbartonshire
The war on drugs has not been effective in reducing drug use or protecting vulnerable individuals. The speaker urges the Government to shift policy focus from the Home Office to the Department of Health and Social Care, invest in robust addiction services, and introduce civil penalties for possession instead of criminal ones.
Warinder Juss
Lab
Wolverhampton West
Noted a 113% increase in drug-related fatalities across England and Wales since 2012, with real-terms funding for treatment services falling by 40%. Called for investment in mental health services and support for organisations like Wolverhampton Voluntary and Community Action.
Government Response
Ashley Dalton
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Government Response
Acknowledges the rise in drug-related deaths and mentions personal experiences. Stresses the importance of evidence-based interventions, highlights systemic issues affecting vulnerable people. Acknowledged the complexity of tackling drug-related deaths, committed £267 million in additional funding for drug and alcohol treatment services, reported an increase in people receiving treatment, including more children and young people, mentioned research on safe inhalation pipes, outlined plans to improve cohesion between mental health and substance use services, and detailed measures to widen access to naloxone.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.