News
TWO IN FIVE HOMELESS DEATHS
NOW DRUG-RELATED
THERE WERE AN ESTIMATED 726 DEATHS of homeless
people in England and Wales registered during 2018,
according to the latest figures from the Office for
National Statistics (ONS) – a 22 per cent increase on the
previous year. Two in five of the deaths were related to
drug poisoning, representing a 55 per cent increase
since 2017.
The ONS statistics include people either sleeping
rough or using emergency accommodation such as
homeless shelters or hostels. Almost 90 per cent of the
total deaths were among men, with the mean age just
45 for males and 43 for females, compared to 76 and 81
in the general population. Suicide and alcohol-specific
causes both also accounted for 12 per cent each of the
estimated deaths.
A fifth of the overall deaths occurred in London, with
a further 14 per cent in the North West. Among the
drug-related deaths, opiates were the most frequently
mentioned substances, with alcohol also mentioned on
the death certificate in many cases.
‘The deaths of 726 homeless people in England and
Wales recorded in 2018 represent an increase of over a
fifth on the previous year. That’s the largest rise since
these figures began in 2013,’ said head of health
analysis and life events at ONS, Ben Humberstone. ‘A
key driver of the change is the number of deaths related
to drug poisoning, which are up by 55 per cent since
2017 compared to 16 per cent for the population as a
whole. The ONS estimates are designed to help inform
the work of everyone seeking to protect this highly
vulnerable section of our community.’
Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes said it was
‘heartbreaking that hundreds of people were forced to
spend the last days of their lives without the dignity of
a secure home. Behind these statistics are human
beings, who like all of us had talents and ambitions.
They shouldn’t be dying unnoticed and unaccounted for.
It’s crucial that governments urgently expand the
safeguarding system used to investigate the deaths of
vulnerable adults to include everyone who has died
while street homeless, so we can help prevent more
POLICY IMPACT
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN RUSSIA –
particularly of spirits and bootleg products –
has dropped by more than 40 per cent since
2003, according to a WHO report. While the
1990s would see one in two men of working
age die prematurely because of alcohol, the
fall has helped to increase life expectancy to
68 for men and 78 for women, the highest
levels ever. ‘The experience gathered by the
Russian Federation in reducing the burden
of disease stemming from alcohol
represents a powerful argument that
effective alcohol policy is essential to
improving the prospects of living long and
healthy lives,’ says WHO. Alcohol policy
impact case study: the effects of alcohol
control measures on mortality and life
expectancy in the Russian Federation at
http://www.euro.who.int/en/home
COUNTY CASH
‘It’s crucial that governments
urgently expand the
safeguarding system used to
investigate the deaths of
vulnerable adults to include
everyone who has died while
street homeless.’
JOn SparkeS
people from dying needlessly.’
‘Years of funding cuts have devastated crucial
services supporting people who are homeless,’ added
CEO of St Mungo’s, Howard Sinclair. ‘The human cost is
a national tragedy.’
NEW MEASURES to crack down on county
lines activity have been announced by the
home secretary, Priti Patel. They include an
expansion of the National County Lines
Coordination Centre, more police teams at
key railway hubs, enhanced data analysis of
vehicles using automatic number plate
recognition and more specialist support for
young people and their families. The
measures will be backed by £20m of
investment, the Home Office states.
DRINK AWARE
THE THEME OF THIS YEAR’S ALCOHOL
AWARENESS WEEK, which runs from 11-17
November, is ‘Alcohol and Me’. Coordinated
by Alcohol Change UK, the week will see the
launch of a series of short quizzes to help
people consider their relationship with
alcohol and whether ‘it’s time to make a
change’. More information at
alcoholchange.org.uk
CLASS A LEVELS
PHARMACY
FINDINGS
THE LONDON JOINT WORKING GROUP on
Substance Use and Hepatitis C (LJWG) has
published the results of the second phase of
its pharmacy testing pilot project following
its launch last year (DDN, June 2018, page
5). Of more than 300 clients offered HCV
testing almost 60 per cent accepted, of
whom 38 per cent tested positive. Almost
80 per cent said they would prefer to be
treated at their pharmacy if it was an
option. ‘This pilot clearly demonstrates that
offering hepatitis C testing in community
4 | drinkanddrugsnews | October 2019
pharmacies can reach a vulnerable group
of people who are at high risk of
infection,’ said project lead Dr Suman
Verma. ‘Through this small-scale pilot,
many people who were living with the
virus unawares have now been diagnosed
and some successfully treated. Many
more will have had useful harm reduction
conversations with their pharmacist
about staying safe and avoiding infection
in the future.’
Of more than 300 clients offered HCV testing
almost 60 per cent accepted. Dr Suman Verma
JUST OVER 20 PER CENT of 16 to 24-year-olds
had taken a drug in the previous year,
compared to 18 per cent in 2015-16,
according to the latest Home Office
statistics. Just under 9 per cent had taken a
class A drug, however, the highest estimate
since 2002-03 and ‘mainly driven by an
increase in powder cocaine and ecstasy use’.
Around 3.7 per cent of adults overall had
taken a class A drug in the previous year,
says Drugs misuse: findings from the
2018/19 crime survey for England and Wales,
and ‘while there is some fluctuation from
year-to-year, there has been a general
upward trend in class A drug use since the
1996 survey’. Document at www.gov.uk
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