1. Update on official DRD statistics
ONS published statistics for deaths registered in 2012 at the end of August. There were 1,496 drug misuse deaths in England and Wales in 2012, a 7% fall from 1,605 in This is the fourth consecutive drop in numbers from a peak of 1,941 in 2008
Drug-related deaths update

2. Update on official DRD statistics - gender
The overall decline is a result of falls in drug misuse deaths among men; numbers of drug misuse deaths among women were similar in 2012 to and other recent years
Drug-related deaths update

3. Update on official DRD statistics – drugs mentioned
Heroin/morphine deaths were similar in 2012 to 2011, following larger drops in the previous two years
Methadone deaths fell in 2012 but this is against a general increasing trend
Drug-related deaths update

4. Update on official DRD statistics – other developments
ONS published statistics for the first time in 2012 concerning deaths where novel psychoactive substances were mentioned on the death certificate. These were backdated for previous years. There were 52 deaths where NPS were mentioned registered in 2012, up from 29 in 2011.
There were 20 deaths registered in 2012 where para-Methoxyamphetamine (PMA) was mentioned. Prior to this, there had been two deaths involving PMA in the preceding nineteen years. Total amphetamine deaths (including MDMA) increased from 62 in 2011 to 97 in 2012, the highest number for four years.
Deaths where tramadol was mentioned (which are usually not classed as drug misuse deaths) continue to increase, up from 154 in 2011 to 175 in
Drug-related deaths update